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CONTENTS AND STORY LIST.
Introdoction, by W. R. S. RaletoD, M.A.
latrodactoiy _ . . . _ i
The Vaiu Queen ~ ..... 8
The Mud and the Negresa ..... 6
The Three Citrons of Lore ... - - 9
The Daughter of the Witck . - . - 14
May yoa Taaish like the Wind - - . - 20
Pedro and the Prince ..... 26
The Rabbit -..--.. 29
The Spell-bound Giant ..... 88
The EncbaateJ Maiden ..... 87
The Maiden and the Beast - . . . .41
The Tower of 111 Luck - .... 45
The Step.Moaier ... - - 49
Saint Peter's Goddaughter - .... 53
The Two GhUdren and the Witch - ... 59
The Maiden with the Rose on her Forehead - . - 62
The Prinoees who would not many her Father - - 66
The Baker's Idle Son - . . . -72
The Hearth-Cat ----.. 75
The Annta ....... 79
The Cabbage Stalk .---.. 81
The Seven Iron Slif^ers - - - . - 85
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II BTORT UBT.
Tbe Maiden from whose Head Pearls fell on combing berself - 90
•Sht, Three Princes and the Maiden - - - - 94
The Maiden and the Fi«h ... - - 97
The Slicea of Fisli - - - - - - 100
The Prince who bad the head «f a Horse • - - 10&
The Spider --.--.- IH
"Die Liitle Tick - - - - - .113
Tbe Three Little Bine Stakes - - . - 119
The Hind of tbe Qolden Apple - - - - 121
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INTEODUCTION.
The thirty stories which Prof. Consiglieri Pedroso
haa selected from his collectioii of five hundred in-
edited Portuguese Folk-Tales have this great merit
— they are evidently genuine. Just as it is easy to
decide in the case of certain tales "which their col-
lectors profess to have gathered from rustic lips
that they have been submitted to literary manipu-
lation, so is there no difficulty in recognising the
justice of the claim made by these Portuguese stories
to be considered as " popular" in the technical sense
of the word. Their occasional clumsiness and ob-
scurity, their frequent forgetfulness of their original
meaning, and some of their other peculiarities, may
be objected to by lovers of neat and trim fairy-tales,
but those characteristics will be accepted by more
serious students of folk-lore as trustworthy evidence in
favour of Prof. Consiglieri Pedroso's conscientiousness
as a collector and a reporter.
As he has postponed for a time his comments on
the stories he has published, it may be useful to say
a few words here as regards their principal themes.
The group of folk-tales, which is most largely repre-
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11 INTEODUCTION.
sented in the present collection, 13 that which treats
of a supernatural spouse who is temporarily condemned
to assume an unattractive appearance. For the sake
of convenience it is often designated the Beauty and
the Beast, or the Cupid and Psyche, group. To it
belong five tales. No. 10, " The Maiden and the
Beast," resembles that form of the story with which
we are best acquainted, except in its termination ; for
iu it the forgotten Beast dies, and soon afterwards the
penitent Beauty does the same. No. 26, " The Prince
who had the Head of a Horse," has remained more
faithful to its leading idea, which is that of a transform-
ation terminated by a wife's self-sacrificing perti-
nacity. The beat-known form of the story is probably
the Countess d'Aulnoy's " Prince Marcassin," an
adaptation of one of Straparola's tales : one of the
most interesting of its variants is the Calmuc legend
of the Bird-husband, which forms the seventh of Jiilg's
Kalmukisohe Marehen. No. 20, " The Cabbage Stalk,''
resembles the Cupid and Psyche variant of the same
theme, its supernatural hero being obliged to fly when
he is looked at by candle-light at night, and three
drops of grease fall upon him. Its main features bear
a strong resemblance to those of the Sicilian "Re
d'Amxui " (Pitre, No. 18), but it is also closely akin to
such tales, current everywhere, as the Norse " King
Valemon, the White Bear," and " East o' the Sun and
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INTRODUCTION. Ill
West o' the Moon." In Nos. 27 and 28 the Beast is
not the husband but the wife, there being, as is usual,
a femiBine as well as a masculine form of the story.
In the one case, a young man, in the most improbable
manner, without the slightest compulsion, marries a
spider ; in the other, a youth weds something "which
felt very cold and clammy," and which turns out to
be " a little tick." In both of these stories the idea
which lent an air of comparative probabiKty to their
eastern originals has been forgotten or misunderstood.
In most of the Indian stories of this class, and their
variants in other Asiatic lauds, there exists the notion
that a celestial being may be condemned to live on
earth, generally cased in a bestial husk, but having
the power of, at times, laying that husk aside, until
the spell under which the fallen divinity labours is
brought to an end by the destruction of the husk
during the temporary absence of its celestial tenant.
The story of Cinderella occurs twice, Nos. 18 and
34, or three times if the " Katie "Woodencloak " form
of the tale in No. 16 is included. In the first and
second of these the heroine is styled " the Hearth-Cat,"
because " she was fond of assisting the servant in the
kitchen." In neither of them is it stated that she was
assisted, as no doubt was the case, by her dead
mother. In No. 18 a cow protects her, and in No. 24
a fish, which she had rescued from the frying-pan ;
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IT INTBODUOTION.
but the narrator was evidently unaware tliat these
creatures had a maternal interest in the Hearth-Cat.
The troubles of Maria do Pan, the heroine of No. 16,
are Terj much the siune as those of the German
Allerleirauh, the Norse Katie Woodencloak, the
English Catskin, the Scotch Kashie-Coat, and all the
rest of her sister sufferers in divers lands — mysterious
maidens of high degree, who to escape from an in-
cestuous marriage voluntarily envelope themselves in
a rough husk, represented in the present instance by
a dress made of wood.
The widely-spread story to which the name of
" The Supplanted Bride" may be given, in which the
real bride is set on one side, and sometimes even put
to death by a step-sister, or serving-maid, or some
other impostor who assumes her place, appears foiir
times. No. 2 begins with the Rapunzel's hair-ladder
opening. The impostor is a negro woman, who trans-
forms the heroine into a bird by running a pin into
her head. No. 3 is the same narrative with a different
opening, being the strange story of the three citrons,
out of each of which when opened emerges " a most
lovely maid," who immediately dies if she is not
supplied with water to drink. The story is familiar
to the South of Europe, and has even made its way to
the North, being No. 66 of AsbjOmsen's' Norse Tales
(" Tales from the Fjeld," No.. 25). In No. 9 the
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INTRODUCTION. T
supplanted bride loses not only her husband but her
eyes. These, however, she recovers, obtaining them
as the price of a nosegay. In No. 22 the supplanted
heroine is a girl, whose mother, when dying, gives her
a towel and a comb, on the application of which to her
head pearls fall therefrom. Her supplanter contrives
to have her thrown, in a state of trance, into the sea,
where she is swallowed by a whale, from which, after
a time, she emerges unhurt. In the first two variants
there is a characteristic touch of ferocity at the close.
When the true bride was asked what the prince ought
to do to the impostor, "the maiden replied that he
should kill her, and with her bones make bed-steps
for her to climb into her bed, and with her skin to
make a drum."
Another group of narratives, describing undeserved
suffering, tell the story of what may be called " The
Calumniated Wife," the innocent mother who is
accused of having killed, and sometimes eaten, her
beloved children. A specimen of this group occurs in
No. 29. One of its characteristic features is the
mention of three little blue stones, which bear wit-
ness to the- truth of the victim's asseveration of inno-
cence. A confidant somewhat resembling these blue
stones is the stone talisman to which the heroine of
No. 15, *' The Maiden with the Rose on her Fore-
head," tells the story of her wrongs, — how she has
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VI INTEODUOTION.
been killed, and hidden awaj in an iron chest in a
secret chamber of the Bluebeard story type, and
scorched all over with a hot iron, after having been
brought back to life and the Ught of day, to the
temporary destruction of her beauty. This tale seems
to be a mixture of several story-scraps.
Enchantment is, of course, the leading feature of
many of these stories. No. 1, which is like No. 16,
a medley, tells how a vain queen tried to kill a girl
who surpassed her in beauty, and how the girl escaped
and took refuge in a swineherd's hut, and how, all of a
sudden, "it waa transformed into a palace, the man
who had sheltered the girl was turned into a powerful
emperor, the pigs into dukes, the maiden into a
beautiful princess." No. 7 deals with a prince who is
under a spell, and No. 8 with a " spell-bound giant."
The well-known story of the wicked step-mother, who
illtreats the girl whom she first cajoles into asking her
father to marry again, as in the opening of " the three
little men in the wood" (Grimm, No. 13), occupies
the whole of No. 12, and the opening of No. 16. Nos.
11 and 35 contain the well-known accoimt of the
hag who succeeded in killing, or at least bewitching,
the elder brothers of a family, but who was at last
overcome by the youngest brother, who rescued his
dead or entranced relatives. In these two stories
each of the brothers is protected by a horse and
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ISTRODTJCTION. Vll
a lion, but the hag induces her victims to tie them
up with one of her hairs, which acquires irresistihle
strength when she calls upon it to do so. In the
Eussian variants of the story the witch usually
petrifies her victims. No. 14 contains the widely-
spread story of the ogress who intended to bake her
human guests, but was baked herself instead. One of
its incidents, the testing of the tenderness of her
prisoners, closely resembles a passage in the Norse
story of "Boots and the Troll." The "Three
Spinsters" {Grimm, 14), who attribute their ugliness
to the amount of work they have done, and thereby
rescue a girl in whom they are interested from a life
of industry, figure here in No. 19. "The Seven Iron
Slippers " of No. 21 are the counterparts of " The
Shoes which were danced to pieces " (Grimm, No.
133). No. 17, " The Baker's Idle Son," is a variant
of a tale which is popular everywhere, but especially
in the East of Europe. In Russia it is generally
known as the story of " Emilian the Fool," or "By
the Pike's Will" (Afanasief, Skazki, v. No. 55, vi.
No. 32, vii. No. 31). The opening is the same as
that of the German story of " The Fisherman and his
Wife" (Grimm, No. 19), in which a fish, in return
for its life being spared, enables its sparer to obtain
everything which he wishes. In the variant in
Hahn's Griechische Marchen (No. 8) the hero is a
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Vlll INTEODUCTION.
"half man," a lad who has only " half a head, half a
noee, half a mouth, half a body, one hand, and one
foot." The aim of the original narrator seems to have
been to show that even a very inferior man, a cripple,
a sluggard, or an imbecile, may achieve great things
if aided by a supernatural power. In Asia the story
would probably assume a comparatively reasonable
form. In Europe it has taken one which is quite un-
reasonable and not remarkably edifying. No. 30,
" The Hind of the Golden Apple," is a variant of one
of the numerous Eastern tales about grateful beasts.
A Norse rendering of the same theme is given in
Dasent's "Tales from the Fjeld" (Asbjomsen, No.
63).
No. 4, "The Daughter of the Witch," is a variant of
a very widely-spread story, describing how a hero
escapes from a demon by the help of the demon's
daiighter, whom he marries, but after a while tem-
porily forgets. The most important parallel which
can be cited is " The Story of Sringabhuja and the
Daughter of theR^kshasa," in the seventh book of the
Sanskrit Katkd Sarit Sdgara.* Another thoroughly
Oriental tale is that of " The Three Princes and the
Maiden." She dies, but is resuscitated by their united
" Vol. i. pp. 355-367 of the English translation by Mr. C. H.
Tawney , now being published in the Bibltotkeca Indica by the Asiatic
Society of Bengal. See hia valnable notea to the story, pp. 367-369.
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INTRODUCTION. IX
efforts. Unable to say on which of the three she ought
to bestow her hand, she shuts herself up in a tower,
and they do likewise. The story figures in several
collections of Eastern tales. Its beat form is that
which it assumes in the second of the " Twenty-five
tales of a VetAla," the " Story of three young Brdh-
maus who restored a young lady to life." * But the
moat thoroughly Indian of the Portuguese tales is
"Pedro and the Prince" (No. 6), in which a trusty
retainer saves his master's life, and is, in consequence
of his self-sacrificing loyalty, turned into a marble
statue. It is best known as the story of " Der treue
Johannes " {Grimm, No. 22), and that of " Eama and
Luxman," in Miss Frere's " Old Deccan Days" (No.
5). An Indian variant of the story, in which no
mention is made of the human sacrifice by which the
faithful servant is restored to life, will be found at
p. -253 of the first volume of Mr. Tawney's translation
of the Katkd Sarit Sdgara.
W. R. S. Ralston.
■ The fifth of the Vetfla Tales deals with a similar subject. See
Tol. ii, pp. 242-245 and 258-60 of Mr. Tawney'a translation of the
Kathd Sarit Sdgara, where sereral other variants are mentioned. See
also Oesterley's translation of the Baitdl Pachisi, pp. 183-185.
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Id b, Google
PORTUGUESE FOLK-TALES.
INTRODUCTORY.
■ITH the object of making known to the English public
the rich Folk-Lore of Portugal, I purpose offering
a few specimens which I have extracted from my
vastinedited collection. This collection, which is far from ex-
hausting the subject, has already commenced to be published in
Portuguese under the titles of Cotitribuigoee para tima Mythohgia
popular Portuguesa (fascicules I. — IX. saidoa jfi). Contributions
towards a Portuguese popular Mythology {lAwNa^aa.!, — IX. already
published), and Contribuifoes para um Cancioneiro e Romanceiro
popular Portiiguess (Contributions for a Portuguese popular
Songster and Romanceiro); the first number of which will be
shortly published in the Romania of Senhor Gaston-Paria.
These publications, therefore, which are continuing uninter-
ruptedly, especially comprise Mythology and Popular Poetry.
The stories that I have collected in different parts of the country,
and which at present number more than 500, still remain alto-
gether inedited. The thirty which we now publish here are a
specimen of this collection, in which are found different note-
worthy versions indicative of the principal European types. I do
not subjoin to each story the variants to be found elsewhere, in
the first place because English mythographs would have nothing
to learn by this new work, and in the second place, because this
comparative commentary which I am preparing ought to appear
in the most exhaustive mannei* possible, in the complete edition in
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2 INTKODDCTOKT.
Portuguese of my stories, a commentary upon which will conBtitute
a separate volume. In respect to the process hy which these
present stories were collected, and the method which I have
followed in this collection, in order that they should lose none
of their popular features, my readers may consult my opuscule
lately published, and which bears the title Estudos de Mytlio-
graphia Portugesa. In the next publication, which will consti-
tute the second part of this work, I will communicate to my co-
associates of the Folk-Lore Society a summary of Portuguese
popular mythology, a work which for some years I have been
occupied in reconstituting, and which perhaps I may soon have
occasion to present to the same Society.
Later on, when the plan of my researches shall have been
completed, the Society may in a special publication, and in a
separate volume, assist in bringing forward a Portuguese popular
Mythology the existence of which for years, even in Portugal,
has been unknown.
CONSIGLIEBl PedKOSO.
liebon, December 1880.
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I. — The Vain Qoben,
There was a very vain Queen who, turning towards her maids
of honour, aaked them, " la there a face more heautiful than
mine?" To which they replied that there was not; and on
asking the same question of her Eervants they made the same
answer. One day she turned towards her chamberltun and asked
him, "la there a more beautiful fece than mine?" The
chamberlain replied, *' Be it known to your august majesty
that there is." The queen, on hearing this, desired to know who
it could be, and the chambeTlun informed her that it was her
daughter. The queen then immediately ordered a carriage to
be prepared, and placing the princess in it ordered her servants
to take her far away into the country and there to cut off her
head, and to bring back her tongue. The servants departed as
the Queen had ordered them, but, on arriving at the place
agreed upon, they turned towards the princess and stud, " Your
highness is not aware for what purpose we have brought you
here; but we shall do you no harm." They found a small
bitch and killed her, and cut her tongue off, telling the princess
that they had done this to take it to her majesty, for ahe had
commanded them to behead her, and to take her back tiie
t£ingue. They then begged of the princess to flee to some
distant part and never to return to the city, so as not to betray
them. The maiden departed and went on walking through
several lonely wild places until she descried at a distance a small
&rm-houBe, and on approaching it ahe found nothing what-
ever inaide the hut but the trail of some pigs. She walked on,
and, on entering the first room she came to, she found a very
old cheat made of pinewood; in the second room she found a
bed with a very old straw mattress upon it; and in the thii-d
b2
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4 PORTDGUESE FOLK-TALES.
room a fire-place and a table. She went to the table, drew
open the drawer, and found some food, which she put on the fire
to cook. She laid the cloth, and when she was beginning to
eat she heard a man coming in. The maiden, who was very
much frightened, hid herself under the table, but the man, who
had seen her hiding away, called her to him. He told her not
to be ashamed; and they both afterwards dined at the tabic,
and at night they also supped together. At the end of supper
the man asked the princess which she would prefer, to remain as
his wife or as his daughter. The princess replied that she
should like to remain as his daughter. The man then arranged
a separate bed for himself and they each retired to rest. They
lived in this way very happily. One day the man told the
maiden to go and take a walk to amuse herself. The maiden
replied that the dress she wore was too old to go out in, but the
man opening a cupboard showed her a complete suit of a country-
woman's clothes. The maiden dressed herself in them and went
out. When she was out walking she saw a gentleman coming
towards her. The mcuden immediately turned back very much
alarmed, and hid herself at home. At night when the man
returned home he asked her if she hid enjoyed her walk, to
which she replied that she had, but this she said in a timid tone
of voice. The next day the man again sent her out to take a
walk. The maiden did so and again saw the same gentleman
coming towards her, and as before she fled home in great fright
to hide herself. When the man saw her in the evening and
asked her whether she bad enjoyed her walk the maiden
replied that she had not, because she had seen a man approach as
though he wished to speak to her, and therefore she did not wish
ever to go out again. To this the man made no reply. The
gentleman was a prince, who, on returning twice to the same
place, and failing to meet the maiden, fell love-eick. The wisest
phyfflciaDs attended him; and they gave an account of the illness
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THE VAIN QUEEN. 5
tlie prince was suffering from. The queen iminediately com-
manded a proclamation to be issued to the effect that the country
lasB who had seen the prince should at once proceed to the
pakce, for which she would be recompenaed and marry the
prince. But as the maiden now never left her home she knew
nothing of the proclamation. The queen, seeing that no one
presented herself at the palace, sent a guard to search the place.
The guard went and knocked at the door, and told the maiden
that her majesty sent for her to the palace, and that she would be
well rewarded if she came. The maiden told the guard to return
next day for her answer. When she saw the man again in the
evening she related to him all that had passed. He told her that
when the guard should return for the answer she was to tell him
that the queen must come to her as she would not go to the
queen. When the guard returned next day for the answer, the
girl told him that she did not dare inform him of her decision.
The guard told her to say whatever she liked, that he would
repeat it to the queen. The girl then told him what the man
had advised her to say. When the guard arrived at the palace
he also feared to give the girl's answer; but the queen obliged
him to do bo. The gnard then recounted all that the girl had
said. The queen was very angry, but as at that very moment
the prince was attacked with a severe-fit of convulsions, and the
queen feared he might die of it, she resolved to go. She
ordered a carriage to be brought and she went to see the maiden;
but as she was approaching the house it was transformed into a
palace, the man who had sheltered the girl was turned into a
poweriiil emperor, the pigs into dukes, the maiden into a beauU-
ful princess, and all the rest into wealth and riches. When the
queen saw all this she was very much astonished, and made
many apologies for having summoned the girl to the palace.
She told the maiden that seeing that her son the prince was so
greatly in love with her she begged of her, if such was pleasing
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POBTUGUESE FOLK-TALES.
to her, to consent to mnrry the prince, as otherwise he would
most certainly die. The maiden was willing and acceded to the
request of the queen, and the marriage waa celebrated with great
pomp, and they all lived very happily.
II.— The Maid and the Neqresb.
There was once a maiden who waa imprisoned in a tower.
She was very much attached to a prince, who used to come every
aFlemooQ to apeak to her. This girl would let down her hair
&om the tower, and by this means the prince was enabled to
come up and hold a conversation with her. One day, just as a
witch happened to be passing that way, she saw the prince
ascend. What should she do? She came next day to the place,
earlier than the prince was in the habit of doing, and, imitating
the prince's voice and speech, she called out to the girl. The
girl threw down her hair as usual, and the witch caught hold of
the long tress and ascended. She then commenced to tell the
maiden not to care for the prince, and to discard him, and in fact
gave her much bad advice; and when E^e found that it was near
the hour when the prince would arrive as usual at the tower, she
again laid hold of the girl's hair and slipped down to the ground.
As soon as the maiden saw the prince she recounted to him all
the witch had said to her, and how she had deceived her in order
to ascend the tower. When the prince heard this he at once
ordered a carriage in order to run away with the maiden. Before
the girl left the tower she took leave of everything in it, but die
forgot to take leave of the besom and the broomstick. She took
away with her a glass with water, a little bag with stones, and
another with sand, and she ran away. A little while after the
witch came again to the foot of the tower, and began calling out
to the girl as she had done the day before. To this the table and
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THE MAID AND THE NEGHEBS. I
tlie chaiTB replied, " The maiden ia very ill." But the broom-
Btick and the besom which had remained, very much hurt and
angry on account of the girl not having taken leave of them,
came to the window and said to the witch, "What they say is
not true; the girl ran away with the prince V As soon as the
witch knew this, she began to lun to overtake her. The girl,
who felt distrustful of the consequences, put her head out of the
carriage to look out, and when she saw the witch following she
emptied the bag of sand she had with her, and immediately a sand
waste was formed. The witch found great difficulty in getting
over the sand, but she managed to pass it, and still continued to
run after the carriage. When the maiden saw that the witch
was nearly overtaking her, she threw out the stones she carried in
the other hag, and instantly a great wall rose up. The witch
found great difficulty in getting over this wall, hut succeeded in
clearing it, and continued running to reach the carriage. But
when the maiden saw that the witch had succeeded in getting
over the wall, and was nearly upon her, she threw out the water
she carried in the glass, and instantly a large wide river was
formed; this time, however, the witch was imable to pass.
When the prince arrived at the gates of the city, he said to
the maiden, "Tou must remain here on the top of tHis tree
whilst I go and summon my court together, for I cannot make
my public entry without them ;" and he gave her his word that
he would return for her. The maiden remained on the top of
the tree, which grew close to a fountain, and whose branches fell
over it. A little while after a n^ro woman came with a pitcher
for water: she saw the reflection of the girl's &ce upon it, and,
thinking it was her own figure she saw, she cried out, " Oh I
beautiful negress I break the pitcher I" She knocked the pitcher
against the. fountain and broke It. She then went away, hut
came buck with another pitcher. She looked upon the limpid
water, and seeing the girl's reflect!™ upon it, she repeated, "Oh I
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S POBTLr6n£&E FOLK-TALES.
beautiful negress ! break the pitcher I" ant] again she broke the
pitcher. The negro woman departed, and a third time returned
wilh a tin jug. She looked towards the fountain, and again
Beeing the reflection of the maiden's figure, she said, " Oh 1
beautiful negress I break the pitcher !" But, aa the pitcher was
made of tin, she could not succeed in breaking it as she knocked
it against the fountain. The negro woman, already very angry
because she could not break the jug, said to herself, " Oh, what
manner of a beautifiil negro woman must this be that cannot
break the pitcher !" She looked up to the tree, and, on seeing
the maiden, she said, " Oh, poor girl ! you are up there quite by
yourself; would you like me to stay with you ?" And she also
went up the tree. She inquired of the maiden what she was doing
there, and then said to her, " Oh, my girl ! what a beautiful head
of hair you have got! Would you like me tocomb you?" Saying
this, she pierced her head with a long pin, Tiie girl at once
became transformed into a dove, and flew about. When the
prince returned he was much surprised at this, and said, " What
ai!s you, my girl, who were so beautiful, and now you arc so
black?" " What would you have?" replied the black woman;
" you 1^ me here exposed to the heat of the sun, and I became
sunburnt" The prince had certainly doubts about the truth of
this, as he was convinced that this negress was not the girl he
had leEl there; yet, as he had given his word to the maid, he took
her to the palace and married her.
Every day a beautiful dove came to the garden which would
coo, " Oh, gardener, how does the prince fare with his black
Maria?" and the gardener replied, " Pretty well; be off." Wlien
the gardener met the prince coming into the garden, he related
what had taken place. The prince told him that when the dove
should come on the following day he was to lay a snare of
ribbon to catch her. The next day the dove returned. "Oh,
gardener, how does the prince fare with black Maria ?" she cried.
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THE THREE CXTBOKS OP LOVB. V
The gardener then threw at her the laaso of ribbon, but the dove
merely replied, " Ha I ha ! ha ! Snares of ribbon were not
made to catch rae I" and flew away. When the prince came to
inquire what had occurred, the gardener told him what the dove
had said. The prince then said, " To-morrow throw over her a
enaro made of silver." The dove returned again and stud, " Ha I
ha ! ha ! Snares of silver are not made for me !" and flew away.
And when the prince heard thia, he ordered the gardener to lay
a golden snare; and the little dove this time was caught. The
gardener then took her to the prince. But when the black
woman saw the dove she began telling the prince to kill it ; the
prince however would not, because he had already grown very
fond of the little dove, and esteemed her more and more. One
day as the prince was petting her he discovered a pin stuck in
her pretty head which he at once extricated, and instantly the
dove was transformed into the maiden. She then related to the
prince all that had taken place, and he told her he would marry
her. After this the prince asked het what she wished him to do
to the black woman. The maiden replied that he should kill
her and with her bones make bed-steps for her to climb into her
bed, and with her skin to make a drum.
III. — The Three Citrons op Love.
There was once a king who had a son passionately fond of
hunting. And as he was one day going through some Belds he
met an old woman in great afBiction, and who was nearly starved
with hunger. The prince had no tnoney with him, but carried
some food which he had brought with him to eat whilst he
should be out. He called his servants to him and ordered them
to serve her with every thing he had brought for himself. The
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10 P0BTUGUB8E FOLK-TALES.
old woman eat and drank, and when she had tsatisBed her wants
she thanked the prince very much, saying that she had no other
W3y of showing her gratitude to him as she did not possess
anything, " Yet here are three citrons which I give you as a
mark of my gratitude." At the earae time she recommended
him never to break them open except when standing by a foun-
tain, and that when he did so he should cut them open length-
ways and not across. The prince kept the citrons, took leave
of the old woman, and continued his jouTDey.
When he had proceeded on his way for some length of time
he thought he would open one of the citrons, but forgot to open
it at the foot of a fountain, as the old woman had enjoined him;
the instant he opened one a most lovely maid came out of the
citron, who said to him, " Giive me water to drink, if not I shall
die." As there was no water there the poor girl died. The
prince was struck very sad indeed, but as he had still two more
citrons he became more consoled and reconciled to his loss, and
continued his journey. Further on he opened another, hut again
forgot that he should do it at the foot of a fountain, and at
the moment he did so a most beautilid girl made her appearance,
who said to him, " Give me water or else I shall die-" As there
was no water there the poor girl died. The prince was ex-
tremely sad at the event, and now he did not dare open the
third citron fearing lest the same thing should happen again.
However, he had such a great wish to see what was inside it
that, looking out for a spot where there was a fountain, he opened
the third citron. That moment a most lovely maid stepped out
from the citron, much more beautiful than any of the others,
who also said to him, " Give me water to drink, or I shall die."
Tlie prince, who had brought a shell with him, filled it with
water and gave the maiden to drink, who was greatly refreshed;
but, as she was very delicate and very thin and spare, the princej
fearing to take her as far as the palace, which was yet very
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TEE THRER CITEOSS OF LOVE. 11
distant, iGst the journey should be more than she could bear,
told her to go up a tree which stood there, whilst he went for
ft carriage for her. The maiden did so, and the prince departed.
A short while af^r a negro woman made her appearance, who
was Tery ugly, and had come to draw water for her master.
The black woman began to look at the water which, aa it was
very clear and limpid, reflected the maiden's face in it. The
black woman believing that it was her own face, began to say,
" What, little black woman, who art so very beautiful, do you
come for water? Break, break the pitcher!" And she began to
strike the ground with the pitcher, but as the pitcher was made
of copper it would not break. The negress again looked at the
water, and seeing the maiden's face reflected, repeated, '* Little
negress, who are so beautiful, how is it that you come to draw
water ? Break, break the pitcher," and she again struck the ground
with it. All this time the maiden was very much amused at what
she saw and heard, and felt inclined to laugh, but feared to do
so lest the black woman should hear and see her, but at last,
unable to contain herself, she laughed outright. This made the
negress look on every side, but she was unable to discover any
one, until at last looking up she saw the maiden in the tree.
She then began to ingratiate herself with her by all manner of
afiectionate and endearing expressions and caresses, and asked
her to come down the tree, but the maiden refused, saying that
she was there waiting for the prince. But the negress, being a
witch, began to renew her caresses, and said to her, " Come here,
my girl, and let me at least clean your pretty little head." The
witeh said and did so much that at last the maiden decided to
come down from the tree. As soon as the witeh seized the girl
she began to pretend to clean her hair, and ask her many
questions about the prince, which the maiden answered her with
all truth; and when the negress knew all she wished to know
she drew out a large pin which she had upon her, and stuck it
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12 POKTUQUESB FOLK-TALE8.
into the girl's Lead. At tliat moment the maiden waa trans-
formed into a dove and flew away. The negresa now went up
the tree inatead of the girl, and thera waited for the prince, who
arrived before long. He looked np the tree and was much
suTprieed that, after having left such a beautiful girl there, he
should find an ugly black woman instead. He began to grow
very angry, but the negresa commenced to cry and say that it
was all owing to an unfortunate spell which pursued her, and
that she was as beautiful at one moment as she was an ugly
black woman the next. The prince, believing all she said, took
compassion upon her, and told her to come down from the tree,
and then he took her to the palace. Next day he rose up very
early in the morning and went to the garden to take a walk;
shortly after he saw a beautiful dove who flew close up to the
gardener and said, " Gardener of my own garden, how does the
prince get on with his negresa, the black, ugly, and evil-eyed
bitch? " As she finished speaking she flew away. The gardener
made no reply but went up to the prince and told him what
the dove had said, and inquired of him, " What does your
highness wish me to say in answer to the dove'a question?"
" Tell her that I live happily and lead a good life," replied the
prince. Next day the dove returned and said, " Gardener of my
own garden, how does the prince fere with his negiess, so black,
ugly, and squinting? " The gardener replied, " He livea happily,
and leads a good life." The dove then eaid, " Poor me I who
fly about lost and without aim in life." The gardener then went
and informed the prince of what the dove had said in answer.
The prince ordered him to set up a snare of ribbon to see if they
could entangle her leg and catch her, because he liked her
very much. Next day the dove returned again and made
the same speech as before and the gardener replied as he had
done before, and when the dove looked towards the snare laid
for her she gave a loud laugh and said, " Ha I ha I ha I A snare
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THE THBEB CITRONS OF LOVB, 13
of ribboQ was never meant for my leg," and she flew away. The
gardener again went and told the prince what had occurred this
time with the dove; and the prince ordered him to lay a snare
of silver cords. The dove came, repeated what she had said
before, looked towards the snare laid, and laughingly said, " Ha I
ha ! ha I Snares of silver cord were not made for my leg."
The gardener now repeated to the prince what the dove had said,
and the prince ordered a snare of gold cord to be prepared (or
her. The dove came again next day, said the same words as
before, and, looking towards the snare, said, as she laughed, " Ha !
ha I ha ! Snares of gold were never made for me," and again
flew away as she had done each time. When the gardener told
the prince what the dove had said he was very angry indeed,
and, being resolved to catch her in desperation, ordered a snare
of brilliants to be laid for the dove. When next day the dove
appeared, she had hardly seen the expensive snare when she flew
right into it, saying, " Yes, this snare is the one fit for my leg,"
and allowed herself to be caught. The moment that the black
woman saw tliat the little dove had been caught, she began to
say that she felt very ill and wished a broth to be made with the
dove. The prince in deep distress at this said that the dove was
not to be killed, and commenced to caress and fondle her, and as
he stroked her pretty head he found a pin buried in it which he
drew out. That very instant the dove was transformed into a
lovely maiden, and the very same form that the prince had left
on the tree. The prince was much astonished to see her so
suddenly before him ; and the maiden related to the prince all
that the black woman had done to her. The prince then com-
manded the woman to be killed, and a drum to be made of her
skin and with her bones steps for the muden to get to her bed.
He then married the maiden and they were very happy.
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POKTDGUE8E FOLK-TALES.
IV. — The Daughter op the Witch.
There waB once a ^tch, and she had a daughter called Guiomar,
who was much attached to a certain prince. Her mother did
not wish her to marry him, but the maiden told the prince to
diess himself like a poor man, and some day, when her mother
was not at home, to come begging, for she would open the door
for him. The prince did as he was told, and the girl made him
stand behind the door, and instructed him that when her mother
came home he should say that he was a poor man, and to ask
her to ^ve hira shelter for the night. When the witch returned
home, she said, " I smell royal blood." " No, mother," swd the
girl, " it is a poor man who asks alms, and who would be glad
to have shelter given him, as he has no pkce to go to," " Well,
then, let him remiun," replied the witch; *' but he must present
me to-morrow with a potful of guano of little birds." The
prince, distressed to tears, asked the girl to tell him how he
could possibly procure the guano. The girl, who knew some-
thing of witchcraft, replied, " Do not distress yourself about
that, for I will show you how you are to do that." She then told
him to go and place an earthenware pot at the foot of a certain
great wall, which she indicated to him, and that he was to go at
night for it, and he would find it full of little birds' guano; but
she enjoined him very particularly not to mention to her mother
what she had told him, as it was she who had instructed her.
The prince did as the girl told him, and placed the earthenware
pot at the foot of the wall, and at night he found the pot full of
guano of little birds; and he then gave it to the mother. When
the witch saw the pot, she said, "Ha! ha! ha! Gruiomer has
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i
THK DAUOUTEB OF THE WtTCH. 15
liad a hand in thb." But the prince sdd that she had not. The
witch then said, " To-morrow you must plant a number of vines,
and at night you must bring me a basket full of grapes &om
them." The prince, weeping, agtun went to the girl, and re-
counted all that the mother had ordered him to do. The girl
told him not to be distressed, but to go and plant the vines, and
that at night he wae to go to the spot and he would find the
vines full of grapes. The prince did bo ; he planted the vines,
and at night he returned to the spot and found the grapes, and
gave them to the mother. When the witch saw them, she said,
" Ha I ha I ha I Guiomar has had a hand again in this." But
the prince again assured her that she had not; and he wentaway
contentedly to tell the girl the result. They afterwards agreed
to run away on the following day, when the mother should go
out. Kext day, when they found that the mother had gone out
of the house, they arranged everything for their flight. The
girl spat three times on the ground at the threshold as she left
the house, and they then ran away. When the witch returned
and knocked at the door, one of the spits answered, " Who is
there?" The witch replied, "Open to me, Gruiomar." The
other spit then swd, " Guiomar has ran away." The witch
asked, *' With whom ? " And the third spit answered, •' With
a young man." The witch then told the girl's father to go and
run after them, for he might yet catch them. The father set to
running; and the girl, when she was half way on the road,
looked back and saw her father. She then said to the prince,
"There comes my father; what shall I do?" He replied, in
great fright, ' ' Indeed, what shall we do I " But the girl said
that she would arrange everything satisfactorily, and then con-
tinued saying, " Let my boy be converted into a public road,
and myself into an old man with a sack on his back." And so
it all took place. The father then coming up to the spot, and
seeing the old man, he said, " Pray, my little neighbour, have
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16 POfiTnOUESG FOLK-TALES.
you Been & girl, with a young man, on this road?" The old
man replied^
" I sell nnts, and bn7 garlics;
I hay garlics, and sell mite.
I Bell nnts, and bny garlics ;
I boy garlics, and sell aata."
The &ther, annoyed at the answer, turned back towards home.
The witch had scarcely caught sight of him when she asked,
" Well, did you meet with Guiomar?" *' No, I did not; I met
an <dd man with a sack on his back, and I asked him if he had
seen a girl with a young man pass that way; and he replied to
my inquiries thus^
■ I Bell auts, and bn; garlics;
I bny garlics, and sell oats.
I sell nnts, and bny garlics;
I bn; garlics, and sell nnts.'
and, feeling much annoyed at the stupid answer, I came away."
The witch then said, " Lo ! catch her, for it was Guiomar you
' saw I" And she hurried him back in pursuit of the girl, telling
him that should he find the old man again with the sack on his
back, to lay hold of him, for it was no other than Guiomar,
The father renewed his pursuit; and when the gtrl saw him she
said to the prince, " Let my lad be turned into a hermitage, and
I into a hermit," When the father arrived at the spot, he
asked, " Oh, my good uncle, did you happen to see a giri with a
young man on this road?" The hermit replied —
" Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
The bell goes for mass,
Qnick t for the priest is at the altar.
Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle.
The bell goes for mass,
For tbe priest is at the altar."
" I am not inquiring for this," said the father ; " but I wanted
to know if your rertrence has seen on this road a giri accom-
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THE DAUQHTEB OP THE ■ffrTCH. 17
panied by a young man." The hermit gave the same anewer aa
before —
" Tinkle, tinUe, tinkle.
The bell goes for moas,
Qnick ! for the priest is at the ftltar.
Tinkle, tinkle, tiakle.
The bell goes for mass.
For the priest is at the altar."
The father, w€ary and annoyed, turned back home, and when
he arrived he related to the witch what had taken place. " Lo I
Catch her, for the hermit is no other than Guiomar I And since
you are not clever and discriminating enough for the purpose I
shall myself go there," When the girl had nearly come to the
end of her journey she looked back and said, breathless and in
great trepidation, " Oh ! there comes my mother I I have saved
myself fiom my &ther, but now I do not know how to escape
from my mother 1" But, after a short pause, she said, " My lad,
be transformed into a river, and I into an eel I" Wien the
mother arrived she at once found her daughter out ; she came
close to the edge of the river and called out three times,
"Guiomar, come here!" whibt the eel replied significantly
every time with her tail that she would not come. The witch
then said, " The curse which I invoke to fall upon you is, that
when the prince arrives at his own palace, the first person that
shall give him a kiss shall make him forget you." And saying
this she went away. They now returned to their original
form and continued to walk on. The girl said to the prince,
" Be on your guard that no one gives you a kiss, for my
mother's imprecations never &il to take effect." The prince on
entering the palace was on his guard that neither his mother
or hia sisters should give him a kias. Aa he arrived very tired
he laid down to sleep. One of the sisters who was passing
through hia room, seeing that he was quietly asleep, gave him a
kiss. When the prince awoke and Guiomar spoke to him he
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lo FOKTUGUESE FOI.E-TALE8.
did not know her. And when the girl perceived it she remem-
bered her mother's imprecation and went to live in a separate
houBG which Btood in front of the palace ; and every day she
dressed and adorned herself very well, and sat at one of the win-
dows looking out. One day, as three of the chamberltuns were
at the palace window, they said one to the other " Who can
that girl be, opposite to as ? I have a mind to go and ask her
if she will allow me to speak to her." The chamberlain went
and passed under her window and asked the girl to allow him
to have a chat with her. The girl replied that she was quite
willing and appointed him to come at four o'clock in the after-
noon. When the chamberlain entered in and saw the girl he
sat down to converse with her, until it was nearly dark ; and
then the girl said, " It is now almost night and my servant does
not come to light a candle for me." The chamberlain said that
he would go and do it for her. He tried to strike fire with the
eteel and flint, but do what he would he could not succeed in
lighting the tinder, whilst his fingers were hurt and bleeding.
He left the house very much mortified and vexed at what had
happened to him, and returned to the palace. The girl had done
all this to &scinate the prince by means of witchcraft, and to
induce him, as will be seen, to come and speak to her. The
chamberlain related what had happened to him, and one of the
other three chamberlains said, " I lay a wager that I shall go
there to-morrow and that she will not treat me in the same
way." He therefore passed under her window next day, asked
her if he could have a chat with her, and she answered that he
might come when he liked. The chamberldn entered and com-
menced to converse with the girl ; and when they had been
chatting for some time the girl said, " I am very thirsty, butmy
servant does not come to give me water." The chamberlain
said he would go and get it for her. He took up a glass and
from a jar on tnc table commenced to pour out water, but the
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THE DAUQHTEB OF THE 'WITOB. 19
water instead of being poured into the glass went over him, so
that he was thoroughly drenched. He left the house vexed and
mortified, and returned to the palace. He recounted what had
happened to him, and then the third chamberlain said, " I lay a
'vtager that if I go and see the girl she will not treat me in this
way." Next day he passed under her window and asked the
girl if she would allow him to come up and have a chat with her,
and the girl said " Yes." When they were deep in conversa-
tion, a great wind began te rise, and the girl said to the cham-
berlain, " Oh ! there is so much wind in the room, and the
servant does not come to shut the window." The chamberlain
immediately offered to shut the window himself; but the window
began to slam and to beat him in the chest, and the more ho
tried to shut it the more did the window heat against him, and to
such a degree that he began to spit blood profusely.
The prince found all three chamberlains very bitterly com-
plaining of pain and vexation, and he asked them what was the
matter, and they told him what had happened to them. The
curiosity of the prince being roused, he said, " I also shall go
to see the girl and try if the same thing will happen to me."
He passed under the giri's window and asked her when he
could go and speak to her. " At once," replied the girl, " and
the sooner the better." The prince entered the house, and at
the same time the girl threw a spell over him, so that he might
remember what had passed on the highroad when they ran away
from her mother's house. The prince went up the stairs, pushed
open a door he came to, and he there found a public road along
which an old man with a sack on his back was trudging along.
He asked him the way to the queen's room, and the old man
replied,
" I sell nnta, and bnj garlicB,
I ba; gftrlics, luid sell nnta.
I Bell nnts, and bnj garlics,
I bnj garlica and sell nuts."
c 2
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20 PORTUGUESE FOLK-TALES.
The prince went further on and he found another door, and
puflhing it open he there saw an hennitage and a hermit. He
asked the hermit the way to the queen's room, and the hermit
answered him,
" Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
The bell goes for mass,
Qnick 1 for tlie priest ia &t the altar.
Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,
The bell goes for moBi,
Quick 1 for the priest is at tlie altar."
At this the prince commenced to recollect that he had heard
that before. He went on further and he came to another
door, and inside he found that there was a river and the eel.
That moment he recollected eveiything that had been dbmiesed
from his mind, and falling upon his knees he begged the girl's
pardon for his forgetfulness of her. The girl transformed her-
self back into her natural state, married the prince, and they
lived happily ever after.
V. — Mat rou vanish like the wind.
There was once a king who had a daughter whom he dearly
loved. The princess had the habit of combing herself, and on
being ready dressed would go to the garden for a flower to place
in her hair. Bnt when she was there she invariably heard a
voice which said, " When will you have your troubles, when you
are young or when you are old?" This happened several times,
and the princess, full of curiosity and tired of hearing always the
same question, went one day into the palace and said to her
maid of honour, " Do you know what has happened to me the
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UAY TOU VANISH LIKK TUB WIND. 21
last few days? I hcnr always a voice which says to me, when I
go and gather a flower, • Which will you do, go through your
troubles in your youth or in your old age?'" The maid of
honour replied, " Listen, royal lady; for my part I should say
that I prefer having my troubles when young; with my old ago
I would acquire more power." The princess combed and droned
herself next day, and went to the garden. She heard the same
voice which always spoke to her, and when it asked her the
usual question the princess replied that she would rather go
through her troubles in her youth than in her old age- Then
the voice rejoined, " Take leave here of every thing that is
yours." The princess took leave of the palace, of her father, of
her mother, and of the Bervanta. After this the voice led her
through the air, and placed her on the top of a windmill. The
owner of the windmill said that he missed the flour, and he began
to throw stones at the princess. Next day the voice came for
her at the same hour as the day before, and agun took her
through the air, and went and placed her on the banks of a river
where some washerwomen were washing their clothes. The
washerwomen began to say one to the other, " Just see, thero
goes the thief who steals the clothes which wo have missed."
And they all commenced to throw stones at her. The next day
the same voice came for her at the same hour, and again led her
through the air, and placed her at the gate of a garden. The
gardener had hardly seen her when he began to say that it was
she who was in the habit of stealing his fruit, and went in and
began to pelt her with stones. Next day at the same hour the
voice came back for her tind took her through the ur, and placed
her at the door of a beautiful garden close to a palace. The voice
then asked the princess if she remembered the time when she
used to go to the garden. She replied that she did not recollect.
A while after the cook looked out of a window of the palace, and
seeing there a maiden thftt appeared to him to be very beautiful.
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22 PORTUGUESE FOLK-TALES.
in Bpite of her being now bo unrecognizable, went in and toM
the prince that there was a most lovely maiden in the g&rden.
The prince bade him call her in, but the princeBs said she would
not go in, becaiiee she was waiting that the voice should come
for her as it always did. The prince aguu said, " Go and call
her, for she will recognise me 1 " The princess then remembered
a lover she had had, and she said, " Perhaps it is he;" and,
rising quickly, she entered the palace. When the prince saw her
he said to her, " Do you not recollect how one day you said to
me, ' May you vanish like the wind.' It is that you might know
what troubles I went through that you have now passed through
the same, but I was fortunate because I became enchanted. It
was not I in person, but it was my voice that spoke to you in
the garden." The princess replied, " It is true that I of^
wondered to hear a voice without seeing any one, but I soon
found out that it was enchantment." The prince then asked
her, " Xow, tell me, do you wish to return to your father's
house?" The princese replied, "No, now I shall remain in your
company." " But listen," s^d the prince, " I shall not marry
you before twenty years' time, because if I marry before then I
shall dispel my enchantment." " I shall wait for you even if it
should be thirty years," said the princess; and she asked him
what he did all the time, and he answered that he eat, and
walked, and sauntered about. The prince then said, " It is now
three years aace you left your father's house. The day after
to-morrow we must go there, for he and your &mily are badly
off. Here you have this pin; do not lose it or give it to any
one, for you would break my enchantment." The day arrived
when they were to take their departure, and they proceeded
through the air to their destination. The prince went and placed
her in the very same spot from whence he had sought and carried
her away, and said to her, " Now bear in mind that you are only
to stay here two days." When the princess was about to ascend
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HAT TOD VANISH LIKE THE WIND. 23
the Stain of the paUce, her father was then eitdng at table. She
gave a rap at the door, and asked if they required a maid to dress
the queen. The king, who wa« sitting down, imagined that he
heard the voice of his danghter, and on rising, as he was very
weak, he fell and broke his bead. The princess, in great distress,
said, deliberately and slowly, " Oh, pin ! help me here." That
moment the voice appeared to her, which was the lover in
enchantment, and he said to her, " What is the matter?" The
princess told him what ailed her father. The voice then stud,
" It is better that yon should come away with me;" and He took
lier through the eut. When the princess arrived at the palace
she received news that her father had died.
One day the prince said to her, " Remember, that to-morrow
is to be the day of our marriage." " Then to-morrow it will be
twenty years since I camehere?" aeked the princess. "Yes, that
is 80," replied the prince. After this he ordered all the kingn to be
invited, whilst the father of the princess was also asked, and
came. The father had hardly set his eyes upon the princess when
he said, " Is this the way you have repaid me, you ungrateful
girl? On your account I broke my head, and you lef)i me and
went away." " Yes, vaj father," s«d the princess, " I came
away because I did not wish to break the prince's enchantment,
and you had already seen the pin, and you broke your head on
purpose, BO that I should remain longer than the two days, and
the spell should be broken." The father said that it was not so;
and then he gave her a walnut. " Here you have this walnut,
do not break it open before your husband." The princess re-
plied, " I shall neither break it open, nor shall I eat it." The
father, much annoyed, hurriedly went away irom the palace.
After the marriage the prince ordered another palace to be built in
another spot. The princess had the walnut which her father gave
her always well guarded; but when everything was taken away
from the palace. they were in, to remove to the other one newly '
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24 PORTUOUESJ:: FOLK-TALES.
erected, the princess, who had the walnut in her hands, allowed
it to fall to the ground. At that moment the palace was Bet on
fire, and everything was buined. Being very much alarmed, she
went and told everything to the prince. " Do you see now,
yourself, how your father wished to harm ua all ?" The prin-
cess waa with child, and the prince said that what the father
wished was to kill the child.
After a time the princess gave birth to a prince — a very pretty
boy. A great banquet was given, and the prince was on the
pomt of inviting the father to it, but, fearing that he should kill
the child, did not do so. One day, when the child was older,
they took it out for a walk. Aa they proceeded through a cer-
tain road, they met a servant of the princess's father. " Where
are you going to?" asked the princeES to the servant. " I came
to kill the child," answered the servant. The prince then asked
him who it was had sent him, and the servant confessed that it
was the princess's father. She asked him not to kill the child,
but go and be her servant; and he therefore joined them to go
to the palace. The princess now returned home, and every river
they crossed presented a different appearance to her, — the first
was a rivet of milk, the next one further on was of water covered
with a mist, and further on still she came to another filled with
blood. The princess, very much alarmed, asked the prince,
" What can all this mean ?' The servant answered her question
instead, " It is the blood of the child you see." The prince on
hearing this said, " Then it shall be yours !" . . . and aiming at
him, fired, and shot him dead; then turning round to the prin-
cess he said,
" I went oDt ahootiDg, I made a good bag,
lostoad of sbooUng little birds
I killed & bird of prey."
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Vr. — Pedro and the Prince.
There was once a king who had an only son, and opposite to
the palace lived a man who had a son named Pedro, of the saino
age as the prince. Oue day tlie prince said to the king that be
was very desirous to take a journey, but that he would like to go
with Pedro, The king then said, " Then my son do you wish
to go with Pedro instead of proceeding with your retinue?"
The prince replied that it was bo. The king then ordered two
of the best and finest horses in the army to be got ready, one for
the prince and the other for Pedro. They travelled ranch, they
saw many beautiful lands, and when they arrived at a certain
place ihey dismounted. The prince told Pedro to mind his horse
whilst he should go to drink some water. Meanwhile the prince
disappeared. Pedro, very much distressed, ran everywhere Beck-
ing him; but not finding him be returned to the city, and as he
was passing by a pond where there were many washerwomen
who were witches, be heard much laughing among them, and
they were saying, " How foolish he is, he thought he was going
to accompany the prince, and that he would he recompensed by
the king for his services ! Now go and disenchant him from
where he is ! " Pedro went up to the washerwomen and entreated
them to tell him where the prince was to be found. One of
them, taking compassion upon him, bade him go to an old palace
which was close by. Pedro did so, went in, but did not see any-
thing but orange and lemon trees, and did not meet with any one.
Full of rage he commenced to pluck the oranges nnd lemons,
and to throw them on the ground. Each lemon and orange that
he threw on the ground was a prince and a, princess, who had
been until then under a spell, whilst hia own prince became dis-
enchanted. Full of joy Pedro entreated him to return with him
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26 POKTUGDBSE FOLK-TALES.
to hie own country ; but the prince saw one of the princesses
who had been disenchanted and fell in love with her.
He told Pedro that he wished to take her with him ; they
therefore proceeded on their journey, taking the princess with
them. They were much fatigued after a time, and as they could
not find a house where they could remain and rest Pedro told
them that they could take shelter and pass the night in a shed
which stood in a court-yard which he had discovered. The
prince and princess accepted the offer very willingly, for they
were very tired and travel-worn, and instead of lying down
Pedro remained as sentry to keep watch, well armed to defend
them. In the middle of the night he heard the witches on the
top of the shed in fits of laughter, and he heard one of them say
"What a foolish man he is! he thought that he was going to
accompany the prince and princess home ! . . . . but the first
thing that will happen to the princess will be that she will find
a handsome littls mule, and she will take a great fancy to ride
upon it. On her riding it, it will break down, and whoever shall
hear this and repeat it shall be turned into marble." Another
witch replied to this, " From thb mishap she shall be delivered,
but she will see a pear tree with very good pears upon it which
she will dedre much to taste ; as she eats them she will be
poisoned, but whoever shall hear this and shall repeat it into hard
marble shall be turned!" To this one other witch replied,
" From this danger she will be delivered, but she will come to a
fine bridge, and she will desire to cross it; as she crosses it the
bridge will break down, but whoever shall hear this and shall
relate it, into hard marble will be converted I " At last to this
the fourth witch replied, " Of this she shall bo delivered, but on
the night of their marriage I shall take the guise of a phantom,
and I shall enter their room through the window and behead
her as well as the prince, but whoever shall hear this and
relate it shall inevitably be turned into hard marble." As she
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FEDBO AND THE PBINC£.
finished saying this the witches took their departuie. Shortlv
after the day dawned, and Pedro was in great distress of mind.
They continued their journey, and when they reached a cer-
tain spot there appeared a very handsome mule, and the
princess immediately coveted to ride upon it as she felt very
tired. The instant Pedro heard her say so he ran before her and.
killed the animal. The prince was very much surprised at this
act of Pedro, but as he was fond of him said nothing about it.
They went further on and saw a pear tree. The princess longed
to taste a pear, but Pedro ran before them and buried the pears.
The prince here manifested his annoyance at the act. They pro-
ceeded on further and Pedro saw a bridge at a distance ; he ran
in ftont and paid some workmen to destroy the bridge that the
princess should not be able to cross it. The prince was very
angiy and reprehended Pedro, but he replied that later on he
would give his highness a satisfactory reason for acting as he
did.
On their arrival at the palace there was much rejoicing in the
capital on receiving the prince and the princess. Their marriage
was solemnised and Pedro said that he must perforce sleep tn the
same room on the first night as the bride and bridegroom. The
prince urged that it waa impossible, but Pedro remained firm
and said that it must be; and he remained armed standing by
the window. Far into the night he saw the witch, like a
phantom, come in sword in hand in order to behead the princess
and the prince. Pedro raised his sword and wrestled with the
phantom, but without any such intention he struck the princess's
face and drew blood. The princess awoke with a start and com-
menced to cry out that Pedro was a traitor who wanted to behead
her. The prince was very wrathful and said that Pedro must
die. He however said to the prince that he did not mind that,
but that before he was put to death he would ask the king to
give a banquet to all his court, as he had something to declare.
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28 PORTUQUUiiE FOLK-TALKS.
The king acceded to his petition, gave a great banquet to the
court, and Pedro on the occasion sat at tho royal table. At the
cud of the banquet Pedro took occasion to narrate all he had
beard the witches say on the nigbt nben tbey remained and took
shelter under a shed. As he narrated the part which referred to
the mule his legs began to harden into stone. As he began to
recount what the second witch had said he was already turned
into stone as far as his knees. The Prince seeing which asked
Pedro not to continue any further to relate what he had heard
the witches say, as he had already commuted the sentence of
death passed upon him, Eatiefied of his innocence. But Pedro
determined to declare all he had heard the witehes eay, and as
he finished narrating what the last one had sud he was turned
completely into a marble statue. The prince, much distressed,
ordered the statue of marble to he placed under the bed in his
room.
At the end of the year the princess had a boy; and when the
prince was once in his room, sometime aA^er the event, alone
with the child, the witeh appeared and said to him, " You are a
great friend and patron of Pedro, but you are not capable of
killing your son and bathing the marble statue with his blood;
did you do so, the marble statue would turn again into Pedro
himself." The prince was in great affliction about what was
required oi him and bis poor son, but before long he took into
consideration that bis son was yet very young, and that Pedro's
life was more necessary, as he might yet save many lives and
persons from danger; he therefore drew first a very small drop
of blood from the boy's arm, and poured it over the stone.
Pedro began to move I and the prince, seeing that he was alive,
took courage and killed the boy. He then proceeded to bathe
the statue with its blood, and immediately the stone was turned
again into Pedro. When the princess returned to the room the
prince told her that the little boy her son had fallen from the
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PEDBO AND THE PBINCE. ' 29
bed to the floor and had died. The princeas In great affliction
and grief ordered a beautiful mausoleum to be erected in the
garden to place the child's corpse in it. The follomng day
when they were all celebrating with a great feast the event that
Pedro had come to life again, the little boy also returned to life.
He was found playing in the garden with some little stones.
Great was their joy, and they all lived very happily and cou-
tentei ly.
VIT.— The Rabbit.
A man used to go about the streets crying out, " Who'll buy
troubles? " And as he paased by the king's palace, the queen,
looking out of window, saw that he was selling flowers; and
turning towards her maid of honour she told her to buy them.
The maid bought the flowers and planted them in the garden,
and the queen went every day to watch their growth and tend
them. One day, as she was taking a walk in the garden, she saw
a rabbit running past, and she told her maid of honour to try and
catch it. The maid seized it, and then fastened it up with her
garter. They then continued their walk, and, whilst they were
giving a turn round the garden, the rabbit escaped with the
garter round its neck. The princess was very sorry to lose it,
and the following day, at the same hour, took another turn round
the garden, and she again saw the same rabbit running. She
told her maid to catch hold of it, which she did, and this time
she &atened it up with a handkerchief. They took another turn
round the garden, and whilst they did so the rabbit escaped with
the handkerchief. When the princess, with her maid of honour,
returned to the spot where they had left the rabbit, ^e was
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30 ' FOBTUOUESB FOLK-TALES.
grieved to find that the little animal was gone. Next day, at the
same hour, the priscesB took hei ubiibI walk in the pleasure
ground, and again saw the rahbit. She then threw down the
gold necklet with the king's portr^t which she wore, and told
hex maid to fasten the rabbit with it, aa thej could now take
thdi walk without anxiety, because the little animal thus secured
would not be able to run away. But the moment they turned
round to take their walk, the ishbit went away with the necklet
and portrait. When the queen returned, and missed the rabbit
in its place, she went into the palace and fell ill &om sorrow.
The court physicians came, and said that what her highness suf-
fered was from being in love, and gave orders that she was to be
taken out for walks and amused. Many persons were called in
to relate the most beautiful stories known to the princess, but
she paid no heed to them.
There were two old women living together who were sisters;
and one day one of them said to the other, *' Oh ! sister, I feel
quite equal to going up to the palace with my stories, and try if
I can amuse the princess with them." The sister endeavoured
to dissuade her by saying that the princess was sure to have much
prettier Etories than she could relate. But the old woman
remained obstinate, and said, " Never mind, any way I shall go
to the palace with mine ! " and started off, taking with her some
Indian com loaves and some roasted sardines. After that she
saw an ass with gold panniers come out &om under the mile-
stone which she sat upon; and saw hands that led the ass, but
could see no one. The old woman waited for the donkey to
return, and when it did so she held on by the panniers, and
descended some steps until she reached a palace of great
splendour. There was a table laid with every good thing, and
the woman sat down to it, and partook of everything. When she
had finished her repast she began to look about her, and she saw
many hands doing the work, but she coiJd see no one, nor any-
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THE RABBIT. 31
thing elee whatever; she could only see hands. When night set
in she laid down; and, very early in the morning, ahe saw a
rabbit enter from the garden. The rabbit went and bathed in a
tub, and became transformed into a handsome prince; he went
. to the looking-glass and began combing himself, and repeated:
" Oh 1 comb that amooths my hair.
Oh ! ribhona which bind my towses,
Wonld that yon could aliew me
She who pinea in Iotb for me."
He then again bathed himself in the tub, and once more became
changed into the rabbit, and it departed.
The old woman then had her breakfast, and, when she saw that
the ass with the golden panniers was going out, she held on by
them and went out with the ass also. When she found herself
in the high road she walked on to the palace of the pnncess, and
on arriving there she said that she wished to see the princess, to
relate a story to her which she was sure would amuse her. The
piincess was reposing on a couch, and when she saw the old
woman she turned towards the wall. The old woman paid no
heed to that, but began her story. The princess had scarcely
commenced to hear the story about the rabbit than ,she instantly
sat up, asked for some broth to take, and told the old woman to
continue. When the story was finished, the princess said to the
old woman that she would go with her to see the palace and the
rabbit she had seen. Her health then began to improve, and
one day, when she had perfectly recovered &om her attack, she
went with the mud of honour and the old woman to where the
milestone was, and waited there to see if the ass with the golden
panniers would come forth from whence the old woman had sat
before. Shortly after this the ass made its appearance; they all
three held on to the donkey, and down they went descending,
whilst the princess was greatly astonished to find and behold so
much splendour, and to see the hands busy doing all the work
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32 P0RTDGUE8E FOLK-TALES.
without any one being seen. More and more surprised at what
she saw, she went further into the palace, until she had seen
every part of it, and all it contained. They came to a house, and
when the maid was entering she suddenly uttered a scream and
ran out; the princess asked her what made her scream, and the
maid replied that it was the sight of a dead man. The princess
told her to go in and not to mind it, but the maid would not
because she felt much frightened ; and the princess, finding that
she would not, went in herself; she threw water over the corpse
and commenced to pray, and suddenly the dead man returned to
life and transformed himself into a very handsome prince, and
was the same one that the old woman had seen transform himself
into a rabbit In an instant all the bands took the form of
persons, and were those that composed the magnificent court
which were spell-bound. The prince expressed bis grateful
acknowledgments to the princess for having broken the spell he
was under. The princess asked him for what purpose were all
these preparations and work in the palace. The prince replied
that it was for the marriage of the princess of Naples; in great
surprise, she said, " I am the princess of Naples ! " " Then you
are destined for me," replied the prince. The princess, in great
delight and filled with joy, said that she would marry him. The
marriage was solemnized with great pomp, and they all remained
in the same palace, living very happily together. TJie old woman
was held in much esteem by all, but she went about looking very
sad; and, when -they asked her what ailed her, she said that she
wished to return to her own home. They loaded her with many
riches, and sent her back accompanied by a page. The old
woman left the palace, and on arriving at her home she said:
" Oh 1 mj house, mj own little honae ;
There's so place like my own little home ;
So let go to the devil my lad; qaeen 1 ho I"
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VIII. — The Spell-boond Giaht.
Tbeie was a widow who had three sons. They lived in great
poverty; and the eldest son said one day, " Oh I mother, things
cannot go on any longer in this manner; I am old enough now
to do something; so I Eholl go through diflferent countries seek-
ing a livelihood." The mother, not wishing him to go, began
ctjing; but the son, keeping bis lesolve, endeavoured to per-
suade ber to consent, until at last, one day she prepared his
outfit, and be departed at day-dawn on his j oumey. He travelled
on, and on arriving at a certain country he inquired if any
one there required a servant. He was told that a magician,
who lived in that part, was always wanting servants, and that
he had better apply at the house. The young man went to
the house, and inquired if a servant was required to wait upon
them. " You have come at an opportune time," replied the
magician, "and this very day you may enter my service; — you
shall earn one coin a-day, but yon will have to accompany me
wherever I go." The young man was delighted to earn bo
much, and said, " Oh, Sir, 1 am ready to go with you to the
very ends of the world, and anywhere you wbh." " Very well,"
replied the magician, "let's go now and get our horses ready to
depart." They filled several bags with provisions, and all they
cotdd require; they prepared and harnessed two good horses with
wallets, and whatever else they might want for the journey, and
at midnight the maeter and bis servant led ihe house and began
to travel through dismal places and dark roads. The young
man, who was unaccustomed to long journeys, began to get very
tired, and did nothing else but ask, " Oh I Sir, have we not yet
arrived?" But the magician always answered him by saying,
'* Don't be troubled, we are Euro to get there sometime or
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34 POKTDQUESE FOLK-TALES,
another." Thus they journeyed on all the night, and at day-
dawn they sighted a very high mountain, and the magician said,
" Do you see that mountain? it is there where we have to go.'*
They arrived at the foot of the mountiun before long, wheD the
magician told the young man to dismount, and said to him,
" Now you must fire a shot at the belly of your horse." The
lad, very much frightened, replied, " Oh I Sir, that is just what I
shall not do 1" " Well, then," rejoined the magician, " I must
fire the shot at you instead." The lad, full of fear and terror,
fired at the horse. The magician took out the entriuls of the
horse, filled a bag with them, and then told the lad to get in-
side the empty belly of the boise, and he put in several bags as
well. He then took out a book and commenced to read, and
the horse began to ascend the mount until the lad reached the
top. The lad came out of the horse, while the magician from
the foot of the mount cried out to the boy, " What do you aee?"
" I see much gold, much alver, many brilliants, many precious
stones, and many bones," replied the lad. " Well, then, fill all
the bags you have with all those riches,'* said the magician, " and
send the horse down here with them, and I shall send the horse
back for you." The lad did as he was told, took out the bags
from the horse's belly, filled them with all the richest things that
were strewed there, and sent the horse laden with the bags
down the hill to his master. When the magician had got the
horse safe at the bottom of the hill, he started off with it, leaving
the lad quite alone on the top of the mountain. The moment^ the
boy found himself forsaken he commeneed to cry, and to seek
for some herbs to eat, as he felt very hungry. When he had
rambled about for some time, he found a HtUe herb which grew
very luxuriantly, and had very large roots, which made it very
difficult for him to root up. But when he had succeeded in
rooting up some, he found in the hole which was left a massive
iron ring of great size and thickness. The lad, curious to know
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THE SPELL-BOUND OIANT. SS
what it vas, began to pull it out; and when the ring was pulled
out he eav some eteps, which were Etrewed with gold coins and
many rich things. The lad, astonished at what he Eaw, went
down the stairs, and at the bottom of the stairs found himself in
a magnificent palace. He eaw a table loaded with the most deli-
cious viands, and, as he felt very hungry, he eat down at once
to eat. He then left the dinner table and proceeded to another
apartment; and as he was about entering the chamber, he saw
a giant lying down ; and the moment he drew near to bim, the
giant cried out, " Who has authoriaed you to enter here?" The
lad, terrified, fell upon his knees at the giant's feet, and begged
him to pardon him ; and he then recounted all that had hap-
pened to him. " Well, then," said the g^ant, when the boy had
ceased to speak, " your master is the cause of my being spell-
bound. You had not the good fortune to kill him ; and so long
as be lives I shall not get out of this. But you have still one
way of saving me: to-morrow before sunrise you must hide
behind that tank; after that, three doves will come — a white
one, a grey one, and one cinnamon-coloured. If you succeed in
catching the white one, you will bring about mine and your
happineBs," The lad, in his excitement, never laid down to
deep, but spent the night concealed behind the tank. When
day began to dawn, the doves appeared ; they bathed themselvee
in the tank, and when the lad tried to catch them, two of their
feathers remained in his hand and the birds flew away. The
lad, feeling very sad, went to the giant, and said to him, " Oh 1
sir, the proof that I did my best is, that here I bring two
feathers in my hand, but I promise you that they shall not
escape me to-morrow." He procured some ribbon, and the fol-
lowing day prepared a snare in the tank, and concealed himself
to wait for the doves' return. Day had scarcely dawned when
the doves appeared, bathed themselves, and when the white dove
was about to fly away she fell into the snare. The lad, very
d2
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36 PORTUGUESE FOLK-TALEfl.
pleased at this, went to put his hands upon her; but at that very
instant the dove transformed itself into a lovely maiden. The
maiden felt very much ashamed at finding herself in the young
man's hand. He then toot her to the giant, who was very
pIcsEed to see her, and said, " Now, were the magician to die,
my enchantment would cease!" Hardly had the maiden ap-
proached the giant, than many servants and maids appeared to
wait upon her, and bringing many robes of the richest materials
for )>er to wear. Yet the palace remained enchanted,
The young man's brothers, seeing that he did not retom, said
one day to their mother, " Oh I dear mother, we have never
heard any news of our brother; it would be as well if one of us
were to go and search for him." The mother replied, " Very
well, let one of you go." The youngest of her sons went out in
search because he was considered more sharp-witted. He travelled
and journeyed on until he arrived at the same country where his
brother had gone, and he inquired if any one could give him
any information of a boy who had many months ago travelled to
that country ; but no one could give him any news. They told
him that such a lad had gone as servant to a magidan'e house.
He therefore went up to the house, knocked at the door, and the
magician answered the call> who put to him the same questions that
he had done to his brother, and took him at last into his service.
At midnight, after having prepared everything, they started off,
and on arriving at the mountain he ordered the boy to shoot at
the horse's belly. The boy aa he was very sharp-witted saw nt
once that there was some mystification in all this, and shot at the
horse. The master placed the entrails of the horse into a bsg
and then ordered the boy to get into the horse's belly, and he
began to read from the book. The horse began to ascend the
mount until it reached the top, and once on the top of the moun-
tain the magician asked the boy, " What do you see ?" " I see
much wealth," replied the lad. " Very well, then," said the
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THE SPELL-BOUND GIANT. 37
magician, " fill all the bags with them and send them with the
horse to me, and the horse shall return for you." What did the
boy do ? The lad filled the bags with bones, and when the
horse was descending he threw a large stone at the master and
broke his legs. At this moment the giant suddenly experienced
great joy and summoned the boy who was stiil in hia palace and
said to him, " Do you know that my spell is broken ? some one
has killed the magician." And by degrees as the magician's life
was ebbing away so the giant's palace kept rising and rising.
On awaking in the morning the lad looked out of his chamber
window and be saw bis mother's bouse standing near. The
mother, who had also risen from her couch at the same hour as
her son bad done, on opening the front door saw that opposite to
her house a splendid palace had risen up. She was much
astonished at what she saw, and at that moment her son and his
brother, the one who had killed the magician, both stood before
her. The other two doves had also broken their spell and were
transformed into beautiful maidens, end they married the two
brothers. The giant was also disenchanted because he was a
prince, and be married the beautiful maiden who in the shape of
a wbite dove had been flying round about his palace.
IX,— The Enchanted Maiden.
There was once a man who had three daughters. In the
country where he lived it was the custom to hang up a gold
ball at tho door when they wanted husbands for the girb who
were single, as a sign to the young men. When the eldest
daughter wished to get married the father hung a gold ball over
the street door. Many persons passed the door, and as they saw
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38 P0HTDGUE8B FOLK-TALES.
the gold ball bsnging up they did not dare enter, and would eay
" Oh, no, it's too rich for me, evidently it is not meant for me."
One day, however, a prince passed the house, and seeing the ball,
as he knew the custom of the country, he entered the house and
asked the father to give him his daughter in marriage. The girl
was delighted, everjrthing was arranged, and they were married.
After a time the father again hung up a gold ball outside the
door to find a husband for the second daughter. Another prince
passed and saw the ball and married the girl. The third daugh-
ter, seeing that both her sisters had married princes, one day
told her &ther that she also wanted to get married. The father
replied that he h^d no money left to order another gold ball to
be made; but she said that she did not doubt him, but that at
least he might have one made of silver. The father did so. A
prince then passed, and seeing the silver ball, said to himself,
" Oh, no, this ia too poor for mej it ia evidently not meant tor
me." Ader that a man passed, and looking towards the ball
said, " This, in truth, is meant for me." He went into the
house, asked the girl in marriage, and be espoused her; aftfr
which he went with her to a distant land. When the two girls
who had married princes knew of this they were very displeased
and would hare nothing to do with the raster. At the end of
nine months the girl gave birth to a daughter. At the moment
that the &ther went out to get some medicine for her some fairies
passed by the house and aaked for shelter. The girl replied that
it could not be as she was very ill; but, as they so begged and
entreated to be allowed to remain, the mother at last allowed
them to remain.
The &iries thanked the girl very much for her kindness, and
when they were on the point of leaving they approached the
child, and stroking her with the divining rod one said, " I now
throw a charm over you that you may be the moat beautifiil
woman in the world." The next fairy then said, " I endow you
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THE ENCHANTED UAIDEN. 39
with all riches, that you may be the richest woman in the
worid." The third fairy then said, " I throw a sweet spell over
you, that when you speak flowers may drop out from between
your lips." They then struck the furniture with their rod and
everything became of the ricliest form and material, and the
house was also transformed into a palace; and when they had
done all this the three fairies went away,
When the two sisters knew of this, and the poor sister had
now become very rich, they were reconciled and became firiende
again with her. The enchanted maiden grew day by day more
and more beautiful. There was a prince who lived quite near to
them and was engaged to be roarried to the daughter of one of
the two sistera who had espoused princes; but when he saw the
enchanted little maiden he liked her better, and no longer paid
any attentions to the other, who felt very jealouH, but pretended
she did not care. One day after this the prince became very
ill and the physicians ordered him to travel. The enchanted
maiden went up to the highest tower there was to take leave of
him and be able to see him for a long distance as he went along.
^Vhilst the engaged girl went behind her, and when the enchanted
maiden was looking out towards the prince, the other girl went
behind her with a pointed rod and pierced her eyes with it and
plucked them out. After which she ran away. The enchanted
maid was very much distressed to find herself blind, and began
to weep. A man passed who took compassion upon her and led
her to his own house. After some time the prince returned
from his travels. The engaged girl presented herself to him
saying that she was the enchanted maiden; but the prince said
that she was not ; but she persisted that she was. Meanwhile
the enchanted maiden was told that the prince had arrived, but
as she was blind she did not dare to go and see him ; hut when she
knew that the prince was at last going to marry the other girl
she Bent to ask the girl if she would like to have a nosegay of
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40 PORTUGUESE FOLK-TALBC.
Sowers to present the prince with. She sent back to Bay that
she would very much. The enchanted girl then replied that she
should send her, her eyes, and she on her part would seud her
the flowers. And so it happened. The other girl who was very
desirous of presenting the prince with a nosegay sent the en-
chanted maiden her eyes. What did she do then? — Next day
just before the marriage was to take place she dressed herself in
deep black and put a veH on. She knocked at the door of the
palace, but they would not admit her. At last, after many
entreaties, she was allowed to enter, and she went straight into
the prinoe's room and begged him most beseechingly not to
marry. The prince replied that he could not put off the mar-
riage as the invited guests had arrived. The maiden reiterated
her demand, and stretched out her hand to the prince, the
hand which had on the ring that he had given her, the prinro
seeing which raised up her veil and at once recognized her. As
the maiden had with her the divining-rod that the fairies had lelV
her, she touched her clothes with it, and immediately she found
herself richly dressed. The prince then went to meet his invited
guests and said to them, " I lost something, and instead I
bought another. I have now recovered that which I lost.
Which ought I to make use of — that which I lost, or what
I bought?" They all exclaimed with one accord, " Surely, make
use of what you have recovered." The prince then went to
his room to seek the enchanted maiden, who related all that
had occurred to her to the guests. And it was she whom he
married.
.y Google
X. — The Maidbn and the Beast.
There was once a man who had three daughters; he loved
them all, but there was one he loved more than the others. As
he was going to the fair one day he inquired what they would
like him to bring them. One said Bhe would like to have a hat
and some boots, the other one asked for a drees and a shawl,
. but the one he loved moet did not ask for anything. The man,
in snrpriee, said, " Oh ! my child, do you not want anything? "
"No, I want nothing; I only wish that my dear father may
enjoy health." " You must ask for something, it matters not
what it is, 1 ehall bring it to you," replied the father. But, in
order that the &ther should not continue to importune her, she
said, " I wish my father to bring me a slice of roach off a green
meadow." The good man set off to the fair, bought all the
things that his daughters had asked him, and searched every-
where for the " slice of roach off a green meadow," but could not
find it, for it was something that was not to be had. He there-,
fore came home in great distress of mind, because she was the
daughter he loved most and wished most to please. As he was
walking along he happened to see a light shining on the road,
and, as it was already night, he walked on and on until he
reached the light. The light came from a hut in which lived a
shepherd ; the man went in and inquired of him, " Can you tell
me what palace is that yonder, and do yoti think they would give
me shelter there?" The shepherd replied, in great astonish*
roent, " Oh I sir, but in that palace no one resides, some-
thing is seen there which terrifies people fi^m living in it"
" What does it matter, it will not eat me up; and, as there is no
one living in it, I shall go and sleep there to-night." He went
up to the building, found it all lit up very eplendidly, and, on
entering into the palace, he found a table ready laid. As he
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42 POBTDGUESE FOLK-TALES.
approached the table, he heard a voice which said, " Eat and lie
down on the hed which you see there, and in the morning rise
and take with you what you will find on that table, which is
what your daughter asked you for; but at the end of three days
you must bring her here." The man was very pleased to be able
to take home what his daughter had asked him for, but at the
same time was distreBeed at what the voice bad eaid it required
him to do. He threw himself on the bed, and on the following
morning he arose, went stnught to the table, and found upon it
the slice of roach oflT a green meadow. He took it up and went
home; the moment he arrived his daughters surrounded him:
" Father, what have you brought us? let us see what it is;" the
father gave them what he had brought them. The third daughter,
the one he loved most, did not ask him for anything, but simply
if he was well. The father answered her, "My daughter, I come
back both happy and sad I Here you have what you asked me
for." " Oh I father, I asked you for this because it was a thing
which did not exist; but why do you come back sad?" " Be-
cause I must take you .at the end of three days to the place
where this was given to me." He recounted all that had oc-
curred to him in the place, and what the voice had told him to
do. When the daughter heard all she replied, " Do not distress
yourself, father, for I shall go, and whatever God wills, will
happen." And so it happened that at the end of three days the
father took her to the enchanted palace It was all illuminated
and in a blaze of light ; the table was laid, and two beds had
been prepared. As they entered they heard a voice saying,
" Eat and remain with your daughter three days that she may
not feel frightened." The man remained the three days in the
palace, and at the end went away leaving the daughter alone I
The voice spoke to her every day but no form was seen. At the
end of a few days the girl heard a bird singing in the garden.
The voice said to her, " Do you hear that bird sing ? " " Yea, I
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THE MAIDEN AND THE BEAST. 43
liear Mm," replied the girl, " Doea it bring any news ?" "It
is your eldest sister wlio is going to be married, would you like
to be present ?" aakcd the voice. The girl in great deligbt said,
" Yes, I should like to go very much, — will you let me go ?"
" I will allow you," rejoined the voice, " but you will not re-
turn I " " Yes, I shall come back," said the girl. The voice
^ve her then a ring so that she should not forget her promise,
saying, " Now mind that at tlie end of three days a white horse
will go for you; it will give three knocks, — the first is for you
to dress, and get ready, — the second for you to take leave of
your family, — and the third for you to mount it. If at the third
knock you are not on the horse, it will go away and leave you
there." The girl went home. A great feast had been prepared,
and the sister was married. At the end of three days the white
horse came to give the three knocks.
At the fiiBt the girl commenced to get ready, at the second
knock she took leave of her family, and at the third she mounted
on the horse. The voice had given the girl a box with money
to take to her father and her sisters ; on that account they did
not wish her to return to the enchanted palace, because she was
now very rich. But the giri remembered what she had pro-
mised, and the moment she found herself on the horse she darted
off. After a certain time the bird returned and began to sing
very contentedly in the garden. The voice said to her, " Do
you hear the bird sing?" "Yes I heat it," replied the girl,
*' Does it bring any news?" " It is that another of your sisters
is about to marry;* and do you wish to go?" "Yea, I wish to go j
and would you allow me to go ?" "I will let you go," replied the
voice; "but you will not return I" " Yes, I shall return," said
the girl. The voice then said, " Remember that if at the end of
* Therearedifferent variatiousof thisstoiy, tU.; "It is tbat your aiaterbaa
given birth to a girl ; I wonld like yon to be her godmother. And do yon
IrUh-to go ?"
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44 POKTUOUESE FOLK-TALES.
three days you do not come back you shall remun there, and you
will he the most hapless girl there is in the worid 1" The girl
started off. A great feast was given and the sister was married.
At the end of three days the white horse came — it gave the first
knock, and the girl dressed herself to go ; it gave the second
knock, and the girl took leave of her friends ; it gave the third
knock, and the girl mounted the horse and returned to the
palace. After some time the bird again sang in the garden,
but in melancholy tones, — ^very dull tones indeed. The voice
said to her, " Do you heat the bird slog ?" " Yea, I hear
it," replied the girl ; " is there any news ?" " Yes, there are ; it
is that your father is dying, and does not wish to die without
takiug leave of you." '* And will yon allow me to go and see
him T' asked the girl, indeed much distressed. " Yes, I will
let you go ; but I know you will not return this time." " Oh
yes, I shall come back," replied the girL The voice theu said
to her, " No, you will not return--you will not! for your sisters
will not let you come ; you and they will be the most unhappy
girls in this world if you do not come back at the end of three
days." The girl went home, the father was very ill, yet he
could not die until he saw her, and he had hardly taken leave
of his daughter when he died. The sisters gave the girl a
sleeping draught as she had requested them, and left her to sleep.
The girl had begged them most particularly to awaken her
before the white horse should come. What did the sisters do?
They did not awaken her, and they took off the ring she wore.
At the end of three days the horse came — it gave the first knock ;
it knocked the second time; it knocked the third time, and went
away and the girl remained at home. As the meters had taken
away the ring,, she forgot everything of the past and lived very
happily with her sisters. A few days afier this fortune began to
leave her and her sisters, until one day the two said to her,
" Sister, do you remember the white horse ?" The girl then
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THE TOWBB OF ILL LUCK. 45
recollected everything, and began to cry, saying, " Oh 1 what
iniBfortnne is mine, oh ! you have made me very wretched I
what has become of my ring?" The asters gave her the ring,
and the girl took her departure in great affliction. She reached
the enchanted pulace and found everything about it looking
very dull, very dark, and the palace shut up. She went straight
into the garden and she there found a huge beaat lying on the
ground. The beast had barely seen her when be cried out, " Go
away, you tyrant, for you have broken my spell I Now you will
be the most wretched girl in the world, you and your siflters."
As the beast finished saying this it died. The girl returned
to her sisters in great distress, weeping very bitterly, and she
remtuned in the house without eating or drinking, and after a
few days died also. The slaters became poorer by degrees tor
having been the cause of all this trouble.
XI. — The Towee of III Luck.
There was once a woman who had three sons. The eldest
asked her blessing one day, and told her that if she gave him a
horse and lion he would go and travel abroad. The mother
replied, " Where will you go alone ? " " Let me go, mother, I
want to travel through different parts of the world." The
mother gave him the horse and the lion, and he took his depar-
ture. He travelled on and on until he met a little old woman
who was washing. The lad went up close to her, and inquired
of her, "Ohl old lady, what are you doing there?" The old
woman replied, " Oh I my son, I am here washing, and shall
continue all my life." The lad asked her another question, " Can
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46 P0BTU6CESS FOLK-TALES.
you tell me what tower that ie yonder ? *' 'Ihe old woman re-
plied/' OhI child, that towei is the Tower of 111 Luck; whoever
enters never returns."* The lad replied, "Well, I shall go
there and I shall return, and I shall find you here still," He
proceeded on and on until he at last reached the said tower.
It was an inn. He had scarcely reached the door when he saw an
old woman, and he asked her if that was an inn, for he wished
to take up hb abode there. The old woman replied tliat it was
an inn. " Look here," SMd she, " take this key, and go and
open the stables. Take also this fine hair, and roll it round the
neck of your horse and lion, to tie them up with." The boy did
so. He opened the stable, took the horse and lion inside, and
then rolled the hair round the necks of both, and left the stable.
After thb he went up to the old woman, and asked her for some-
thing to eat. The old woman replied, " Ah ! you want to eat,
yes, Sir, my little boy; but first of all let us have a wrestling
match together." The lad had no other alternative, and began
to wrestle with the old hag, but he found himself so over-
powered, as the woman was a witch, that he began to call for his
horse and lion. " Come to my help, my horse and my lion ! "
The old hag rejoined, " Be ye thickened, thin hair, into a strong
coil, binding your horse and lion," Immediately the hair be-
came like a thick iron chain, which secured the animals efiec-
tually, and they were not able to come to rescue the lad. The old
hag continued to wrestle until at last the boy was killed. And
when she saw that he was quite dead, she went and buried him
in a grave where there already many other corpses buried.
After the lapse of some time the second brother, on perceiving
that his brother did not return, asked his mother to bestow upon
* This tower is also called the "Tower of Samnolence " ftnd "Tower of
Babylon," in aosat of onr popnlar atoriea. The fomnla Taries also, " Whoever
goes there, remaiiiB, and nerer retnrne," " Wlio goeB there, never retnrns," Jcc.
F. H. Coelho — oonton popalare$ portifgnetee. "The Tower of Bahylon " is not
the same story as this one.
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THE TOWEB OF ILL LnCK. 47
him her blessing, and give him a horse and a lion, because he
also wished to travel through many countries and seek his
brother. The mother replied, " Oh t my son, do you wish to go
and remain away as your other brother who has never made his
appearance?" He replied, "Do not fear mother;" and as he
persisted in his resolve and entreaties to be allowed the mother
gave him the horse and the lion, and a bag of money. The boy
departed and travelled without stopping until he reached the
same spot where the old woman was washing. The boy in-
quired, " Oh ! little old lady, what are you about there? " The
old woman replied, " I am washing clothes, my son, and shall be
washing all my lifel" The boy again inquired, "Can you
inform me what tower that is yonder ? " The old woman said,
"Ahl child, that is the Tower of 111 Luck; who ever goes there
never returns," The boy rejoined, " Very well, but I shall go
there, and am certain to return, and even find you here still."
" Now," said the old washerwoman, " a boy has passed this
way already who said the same thing, yet he has not returned."
The boy replied, " Well then, that must have been my brother;
and now I am more determined than ever to go there and bring
him back I" He proceeded towards the tower, arrived, and
' saw the same old hag, and be asked her if that was an inn
as he desired to take up his abode there. The old woman
replied that it was an inn. " Now listen," said she, " take this
key and go and open the stable. Take also this thin hair and
bind it round the neck of your horse and of your lion, to tie
them up with." The boy did as he was teld, opened the stables
as his brother had done before him, took the horse and lion
inside and &atened them to the wall with the hair the old hag
had given him. Afler that he left the stable and went to the
old woman to ask her for something to eat. She answered him,
"Ahl you want some food, yes Sir, my boy; but first let us have
a wrestling mateh." The boy called out, " My horse and my lion
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48 FORTDOtlESE: FOLK-TALES.
come to roy help ! " The old hag instantly rejoined, " Let the
thin hair round yoar horse and lion be thickened into a strong
coil," and immediately the thin hair became a thick iron chain
which effectually fastened the animals, and they were not able to
succour the boy. The old h&g killed him, and when ahe saw
that he was quite dead she buried him in the grave where his
brother's corpse was laid.
After some time the youngest brother, seeing that the others
did not return home, asked the mother to bestow her blessing
upon him, give him a horse and a lion, and when he obtained
what he wanted he travelled through the world in search of
his brothers. He came up to the spot where the old woman
was washing clothes, and he asked her, " Oh ! old lady, what are
you doing here?" to which the old woman replied, " Oh I my
son, I am here washing clothes all my life, and shall be washing
for ever, because I was once washing clothes on a Sunday and a
poor man passing asked me if it was posuble that I was em-
ployed in washing on a Sunday. I answered him that I was,
because on Sundays I also required food. And he replied,
' You shall be obliged to wash clothes all your life then.'" The
boy then asked her another question, " Can you inform me what
tower that is yonder ? " The old woman replied, " Ah I my boy,
that is the Tower of 111 Luck; who goes there never returns."
The boy sud to this, " Well then 1 shall go there, I shall return
and shall still find you here," " Well," sidd the old woman,
" two boys have already passed by here who said the same as
you, and have not returned." The boy then rejoined, " Well
then, those must have been ray brothers, I shall go there and
shall yet bring them back." He directed his steps to the tower,
and when he reached it the old hag was at the door. Tlic boy
inquired if that was an inu as he would wish to slay there.
The old woman replied that it was, and said to him, " Look
here, take (his key and open the stable. Take also this thin
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THE STEP-MOTHEK. 49
hair, and tie it round the neck of your horse and of your lion.
The boy took the hone and the lion into the stable, but instead
of tying them up, he, with a pEur of scissors he brought with
him, cut up the hair the old woman had given him into little
bits. He then left the stable and asked for his breakfast. The
old woman replied to this, " You shall have your breakfast, oh
yes Sir, my boy, but first of all let us have a wrestle together."
The boy instantly called out to his horse and lion, " Come to
my help, my horse and my lion I " The old woman said, " Let
the thin hair become a very strong coil round the neck of your
horse and your lion ! " But the boy had cut up the hair into
very small bits and had thrown them into the sea. The lion
and the horse responded to the call, and came immediately. The
boy then said to the hag: " You must bring my brothers to me
here or else you shall die I " The old hag replied, " Oh, Sir I I
know nothing of your brothers." The boy then told her that
he was going to kill her; and the old woman had no other
alternative left but to confess where the brothers were. She
then gave an ointment and a scent for the dead brothers to smell.
The hoy went and anointed the bodies of his brothers, and when
he put the scent to thdr noses they returned immediately to
life. When the three brothers found themselves together agun
they went to the old hag, caught her, dug a grave, and buried
her alive in it.
XII. — -Thk Step-Motheh.
There was once a widower who had a son and a daughter.
The girl went to school, and the mistress was continually telling
her to ask the father to marry her. The mistress had three
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50 POBTUOUESE FOLK-TALES.
daughters: one was one-eyed, the next one waa lame, and the
other waa hlind. The little girl would every day say to hei
filler, when she came home, " Father, many my mistrees, for
she gives me Ijoney-drops." To this the father would answer,
"Now ehe gives you honey-drops; by-and-bye she will give you
gall-drops I" The father bought himself a hat, and, bringing it
home, he said to his daughter, " When this hat wears out, I shall
then marry your mistress." And he hung it up on a peg. The
little girl went up to her mistress and recounted all that the
&ther had said. The mistress SMd, " Then you must bring me
the hat." When the father had gone out one day the little girl
took the hat to the mistress, and she put it into an oven and tore
it in several places. The girl then took it, and hung it up agun.
The father put it on one day, and it all came to pieces imme-
diately. He then said to the daughter, " Now I shall many
your mistress, for my hat is completely worn out." But still he
bought a pair of boots, and he said, " When these boots are worn
out, I shall then marry." The girl again went up to her mistress
and told her what the father had said; and she asked her to bring
the boots, and she put them in the oven. The lather one day
went to put them on, and tore them in the act. He called his
daughter to him and said, "Now I have no other remedy but to
marry your mbtiess, for my boots are worn out." The marriage
took place, but she had hardly become married when she began
to ill-tieat the little girl, and made her work all day, whilst the
mistress's daughters did nothing whatever in the house. One
day the father bought a farthing's worth of pine-nuts, and said,
" My children come with me," and he took them to the wood.
The son and daughter were eating their nuts, and dropping the
shells as they went along on the road. They entered the wood,
and as they came up to the foot of a tree the father said, " My
children, remain here; and here I leave this gourd: whilst it
continues to sound, it b a sign that I am in the wood; when it
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THE STEP-HOTUEB. 51
shall stop, it is then a Bign that I am no longer in the wood, hut
am coining back for you." And he went away. The two
children remained alone; and as the wind struck the gourd, it
kept sounding. They kept watching and looking at the gourd;
but the brother kept saying, " Oh I sifiter, father can no longer
be in the wood !" The girl replied, " But the gourd still keeps
sounding." " It sounds because the wind strikes against it,"
rejoined the brotlier. They at last resolved to leave the wood, as
the sun had nearly set; and they kept following the trat^ of the
nut-shells which they had hud on the road, and as long as they
could see them they went right ; but after a while the shells failed
to be seen, and they consequently lost their way. At night-&ll
they met a Uttle old woman, who said to them, " Oh ! my
children, what are you doing here?" They answered her, saying,
"We are here because father brought us to the wood, and then
left us to remain in it alone. He told us that whilst the gourd
sounded it was a sign that he was still in the wood, and that
when it ceased it was a sign that he was out of the wood, but
was coming back for us. But the gourd kept sounding because
the wind moved it. And he went away." The old lady was a
fey, and she said to them, " Now, come along with me, my little
children." She placed the boy out as a servant, and the girl she
took home with her. She gave her a bason and a small bouquet
of flowers, saying to her, "Listen: place yourself at this window,
my child, holding in your hand this posygay and bason, and
say, "'Spray of Intingil, it is now time that my love should
come I'" The little girl did as she was bid. Every day she
sat at the window holding the posy, and the bason placed
by her side, whilst she repeated " Little Spray of Intingil, it is
now time that my love should come." As soon as she finished
these words a bird appeared and brought her much money, after
which it flew away. With this money the girl bought many
things, and jewelry, and went very well dressed. The fay
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52 POffTDOIJESE FOLK-TALES.
iiequently bade her call for lier wheacver she sliould be la any
trouble. Once that the girl was at the window, who should
happen to pass? One of the mistress's daughters — the one-eyed
one. She looked towards the window and she saw the girl, and
immediately went to tell her mother how she had seen the girl
so well dressed. The mistress, much surprised to hear it, asked
her " How is it that, remaining in the wood as she did, wild
beasts did not eat her up ? " The daughter replied, "I do not
know about that, but I do know that I saw her very well dressed
at the window." A few days ai^r, the lame daughter went and
passed the house purposely, and saw the girl very well dressed
sitting by the window with the posy of flowers and the bason
standing on the window-sill, whilst she heard her repeat, " Little
branch of Intin^l, it is nOw time that my love should come."
And when she had said this she saw the bird come and leave
her much money. The lame girl returned home and hei mother
asked, " Well, did you see anything?" The girl replied, "I
saw her at the window very richly clothed, but I saw nothing
else." She did not, however, inform her mother that she had
seen the bird come and bring her much money. The mistress
then sent the blind girl. She proceeded to the house and heard
the girl say, " Little Spray of Intingil, it is now time my love
should come J " and she went home and said nothing. The one-
eyed daughter then said, " Well, I will go once more, and I am
sure I shall see something remarkable this time I " She took-
with ber a handkerchief full of broken glass without telling any
one, and on arriving at the house she hid herself, and soon heard
the pil at the window repeat the words she was in the habit of
saying, and also saw the bird come. The moment she saw the
bird, the one-eyed daughter threw the handkerchief full of
broken glass at the bird. The poor bird was much hurt and cut
in many places, and bleeding very profusely fell into the bason.
The girl did not see who had done the wicked deed, but in
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ST. fetkb's QODDAUOHTEB. 53
great distress of mind she summoned the fay. The fay came
instantly Bhe was called, and said, " Had you appealed to me
soonet I could have saved the poor bird, but now I can do
nothing, as the bird is dead ! " The girl wept much for the loss
of her little bird.
One day when the ^rl was at the window she saw a prince
passing. The prince had scarcely fixed his eyes upon her than
he said, " Ob I what a lovely maiden. " And going into the
house he asked the girl if she would marry him. The girl replied
that she could not give him an answer until she should see the
fey. She therefore summoned her, and told her what the prince
had said to her. The &y replied that she consented to her
marrying him. They were accordingly married, and ever after
lived happily together.
XIII. — Saikt Peteb's Goddadghter.
There was a couple who had so many children that there was
no man left in that part of the country to be godfather. An-
other child was bom to them, and the father, not knowing who
else he could ask to be godfather, went out to walk along the
high road. He met Saint Peter disguised as a little old man,
and dressed like a poor man, When Saint Peter saw the man
he aeked him, " What are you doing here?" The man replied,
much distressed, " What can I posably do, my good Sir; I have
had so many children that I cannot find now any one to stand
godfather to my youngest child." The old man rejoined,
" Well, then, I shall be its godfather; call her Peter, and when
the child attains the age of seven years you must bring her here
to this spot." Saint Peter then gave him a purse with money
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54 POBTUQVEBE FOLK-TALES.
and departed. The maa returned home feeling mort happy, and
related to his wife what had occurred to him with the old man
he had met on the road, and he showed her the bag of money
he had given him. The girl grew to be seven years of age, and
the man, who had become very rich, felt loth to take the girl to
the spot arranged upon ; yet as he promised to do so he took her.
When he reached the place he found the god&thcr wuling for
them. Saint Peter then scud to the man, " Gio sway and leave
her here with me, as I shall take charge of her." And the man
returned home without hia daughter. Saint Peter took the girl
by a road where there was a pear-tree loaded with fruit Saint
Peter asked the girl, "Do you see those pears?" "I do,"
replied the ^1. " And do you like them ?" asked Saint Peter.
" I like them veiy much, godfather," replied the girL They
went on fiirther, and they saw some very fat sheep in a place of
very poor pasture. After this they met other sheep which were
very lean, notwithstanding there was plenty of pasture. They
proceeded on further, and at a great distance they descried a
great blaze, and by it a dark column rising up. Saint Peter said
to the girl, " Do you see that blaze?" The ^l replied, " I can
see it, godfather; what is it?" Saint Peter replied, "What you
see there Is purgatory, where people go who are proud and
wicked. Did you not see those sheep that were lean with so
much food before them ? Those are persons who are proud and
are sent there for their purgatory. And did you not see those
fat sheep with very little to feed upon ? Those are the good
people who did much good in this world and who go to heaven.
And did you perceive that pear-tree loaded with fruit? The
pears are the angels, who being good also go to heaven. And
now you ate going into service, and will have to put up with
many, many untoward things, because those that suffer and are
patient go to heaven." After this Saint Peter gave her much
good advice, and told her to call upon him whenever she should
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ST. PETER'S Q0DDAU6HTEK. 55
find herself in any very great trouble; moreover that she shoald
never dress as a woman. The girl went to the king's palace and
oilered herself as a servant. One of the chamberlains went to
inform tbe king of her request, and the king eent him to say
that she might enter his service. They asked her at the palace
what her name was, and she said that it was Peter. She entered
the king's palace, and her duty was to tend the ducks. At
night when Peter retired to bed, the queen went into Peter's
room. But Peter ran away, and the queen felt vexed; and when
she rose up next morning she threw a ring into the sea, and then
went to the king and said, " Do you know what has happened
to me ! I let fall a ring into the sea, and Peter says he is sure
he can dive to the bottom and find it." The king sent for
Peter and said to him, " Oh ! Peter, the queen has informed ma
that you say you are able to dive to the bottom of the sea and
search for the ring which she let fall this morning into the water.
Are you really able to do so?" The poor girl replied, ■' I sup-
pose that if the queen aaya so, it is because I am able." She
then went to her room and began to cry very bitterly, because
she had not said such a thing, and she did not feel equal to
attompUng such a deed. However, she remembered to call for
her god&ther, and she sidd, "Gome to my help, oh I my god-
father." Saint Peter appeared to her at once, and asked her,
" Why are you in tears? have patience, for it is thus we should
bear all things." The girl recounted to Saint Peter all that had
happened to her with the queen, and what her majesty had told
the king out of revenge to try and disgrace her. Saint Peter
then said to her, " Very well, now listen to me. To-morrow
they will buy some fish, and you must go and ask the servant
whose duty it is to prepare and open the fish, to allow you to do
it." The girl did as she was instructed to do. Next day some
fish was brought into the palace, and she asked the servant to
allow her to prepare the fish for the cook. She opened the fish's
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56 POBTUODE8K FOLK-TALES.
belly and there she found the ring, and she took it to the qaeen
and gave it to her. The queen felt very mnch annoyed at this,
but made no remark, and kept her displeasure to herself. Next day
she again went into Peter's chamber, but Peter again ran out of the
room. The queen feeling piqued and annoyed at the repetition of
Peter's proToking conduct, again went to the king to make
mischief, saying, "Do you know that Peter says that he is capable
of grinding three quarters of wheat this evening?" The king sent
for Peter and said to him, " Oh! Peter, the queen has told me
that you say that you are able to grind three quarters of wheat
this night; is it so?" Peter replied, "If the queen says bo,
it must be because I can do it." Peter went to her room to
give vent to her grief, and sEud, " Oh ! my godfether, do come
to my help." St. Peter once more appeared to her and asked
her, " What ails you, that you weep so ? " The girl replied,
telling him of her trouble, and all that had taken place. Saint
Peter then said to her, " I will tell you what to do. Ask for the
necessary machine for grinding the wheat, take it to your room,
and lay yourself down to sleep. In the morning rise up and
look for the flour." The girl did as she was hidden. She asked
for the necessary things to grind the wheat. She put everything
in the room, and she laid down to sleep. When she arose next
morning she found the flour already ground, and went with it to
the king. This increased the queen's annoyance and anger
ag^nst Peter, but she remained silent and betrayed no dis-
pleasure. At night she again went into Peter's chamber, and, as
before, Peter ran away. The king had a daughter who was
spell-bound in Moirama. The queen, remembering this, went to
the king and said to him, " Do you know that Peter says that he
feels confident of being able to disenchant our daughter who is
in Moirama?" On hearing this the king summoned him to his
presence and asked him, "Oh I Peter, the queen informs me
that you say you feel confident of being able to disenchant our
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81. FUTEU'S QODDAUQHTEB. 57
beloved daughter who is in Moirama, — can you really do bo?"
To this Peter replied, '* I suppose that if the queen says so it is
because I can." Peter returned to her room to have a good cry,
for she thought that this would be impossible for her to ac-
complish. But in the midst of her doubts and afOiclJon she
turned and said, " Come to my assistance, oh! godfather." Saint
Peter instantly stood before her and asked her, "What is the
matter now, and why are you grieving so? " The girl told him
all the impossible things the queen had told the Icing she vaunted
she could accomplish, all out of spite. To this Saint Peter
replied, " Take these three tubes. Ask to have two horses
saddled for your journey, and travel on and on, and where your
horses shall stop there you will find the princess waiting for your
arrival. On your return to the palace, look back, and you
will find that the Moors are chasing you; then it is that you
must throw the first tube; and if they continue to pursue you
throw the secoud, and after that the third tube." The girl did
as she was instructed to do. She asked the king to let her have
two saddle-horses and started off, travelling until she arrived
at a certain spot where the horses of their own accord sud-
denly stopped and refused to go any further; and there she
found the princess waiting for her. As she was returning to the
palace with the princess she looked behind her, and she saw
the Moors in pursuit, and she had hardly seen them than
she threw at them the first tube; and immediately a great
fog came on. The girl and the princess could see their way,
but the Moors could barely see the road and follow them.
When they had quitted the land of Moirama the princess, who
had been dumb, gave utterance to a short exclamation, saying,
"ah!" When they had proceeded further on the girl again
looked back and she saw the Moors still in pursuit. She threw
to them the second tubing, and athick almost impassable bush
grew up. The girl and the princess were able to pass thb
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58 P0HTDQUE8B FOLK-TALES.
easily and quickly, but the Moon found it difficult to effect a
paA through it. When they had reached half way on their
road home die dumb princess a second time exclaimed " ah ! "
Further on the girl Bgaia looked behind her, and saw the Moors
were still behind. She threw out the third tube and a sea was
formed. They crossed with ease the water, and this time the
Moors found it impossible to follow the fugitives. When the
girl and the princess arrived at the palace the princess a third
time uttered an exclamation, and said, " ah I " When the queen
saw her daughter she was very angry and went to the king to
say that Peter vaunted that he could give speech to the princess,
who was dumb. The king called up Peter and asked her if she
was capable of executing what she said she could do. The girl
replied as before, that if the queen had said so it was because
she could do so. But she went to her room to weep, and she
called out saying, " Oh I my god&ther, come to my help,"
who instantiy appeared and aakedher, "Why are you weeping?"
The girl told him everything, and St. Peter instructed her what
she was to do. From there the girl went up to the king and
told him that he could put her to death if he chose, but that
she could not possibly ^ve the princess speach. The queen was
delighted to hear her say this; and it was decided that Peter
should be hung. When the rope was already round her neck
she asked leave in the presence of all the court assembled in
front of the scaffold to publish three things to the world. The
king gave the desired permisrion and she then asked : —
" Oh I Anna Deladana, why didst thou exclaim ah I as we
left Moirama?"
The princess replied: " Because my mother went to seek for
you in your bed."
The girl again asked: "Oh I Anna Deladana, why didst
thou exclaim a second time ah I when half way home ? "
The princess replied; " Because Saint Peter is your godfather 1"
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THE TWO CHILDBEX AND THE WITCH. 59
The girl again asked : "Oh I Aana Deladana, why didst thou
utter an ah I at the entrance of the palace? "
The princess replied: " Because you are a woman and they
believed you were a man ! "
The king then saw that the girl was innocent, and ordered her
to be taken down from the 8caffi)Id, married her, and bad the
queen put to death.
XIV. — The Two Childbbn and the Witch.
There was once a woman who had a son and a daughter. The
mother one day sent her son to buy five reis' worth of beans, and
then said to both : " My children, go as far out on the road as
you shall find shellf of beans strewed on the path, and when you
reach the wood you will find me there collecting fire-wood."
The children did as they were bid ; and after the mother had
gone out they went following the track of the beans which she
went strewing along the road, but they did not find her in the
wood or anywhere else. As night had come on they perceived in
the darkness a light shining at a distance, easy of access. They
walked on towards it, and they soon came up to an old woman
who was flying cakes. The old woman was blind of one eye, and
the boy went on the blind side and stole a csike, because he felt
BO hungry. Believing that it was her cat which had stolen the
cake, she said, " You thief of a cati leave my cakes alone; they
are not meant for you!" The little boy now said to his sister,
" You go now and take a cake." But the little girl replied, " I
cannot do so, as I am sure to laugh." Still, as the boy persisted
upon it and ui^d her to try, she had no other alternative but to
do BO. She went on the side of the old woman's blind eye and
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60 FOKTUQUESE FOLK-TALES.
stole another of her cakes. The old woman, again thinking that
it was her cat, said, " Be offi ehoo jou old pussy; these cakes
are not meant for you I" The little girl now hurst out into a 6t
of laughter, and the old hog turning round then, noticed the two
children, and addressed them thus: "Ah! is it you, my dear
grandchildren? Eat, eat away, and get &t!" She then took
hold of them and thrust them into a large box full of chestnuts,
and shut, them up. Next day she came close to the box and spoke
to them thns: *' Show me your little fingers, my pets, that I may
be able to judge whether you have grown £at and sleek." The
children put out their little fingers as desired. But next day the
old hag again asked them; " Show your little fingers, my little
dears, that I may see if you have grown tat and plump [ " The
children, instead of their little fingers, showed her the tail of a cat
they had found inside the box. The old hag then said: " My
pets, you can come out now, for you have grown nice and plump,"
She took them out of the box, and told them they must go with
her and gather sticks. The children went into the wood searching
one way while the old hag took another direction. When they
had arrived at a certain spot they met a (ay. This fay said to
them : " You are gathering sticks, my children, to heat the oven,
but you do not know that the old hag wants to bake you in it."
She further told them that the old witch meant to order them to
stand on the baker's peel, saying: " Stand on this peel, my little
pets, that I may see you dance in the oven; but that they were
to ask her to Eat upon it herself first, that so they might learn the
way to do it. The fay then went away. Shortly afW they had
met this good lady they found the old witch in the wood. They
gathered tc^ether in bundles all the fire-sticks they had collected,
and carried them home to heat the oven. When they had finished
beating the oven, the old hag swept it carefully out, and then said
to the little ones, " Sit here, my little darlings, on this peel, that
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THE TWO OHILDBEH AND THE WITCH. 61
I may Bee how prettily you dance in the oven 1 " The children
replied to the witch as Ae good fay had instructed them : " Sit
you here, little granny, that we may first see you dance in the
oven." As the hog's intention wa« to bake the children, she sat
on the peel first, so as to coax them to do the same after herj but
the very moment the children saw her on the peel they thrust
the peel into the oven with the witch upon it. The old hag gave
a great etart, and was burnt to a cinder immediately after. The
children took possession of the shed and all it contEuned.
Another version: — There was once three brothers who went
along a certun road. When night overtook them they saw a
light at a distance, and so they walked on towards it until they
came to it. The light proceeded from a spot where an old
woman was frying some cakes. The brothers said one to
another, " Let us get upon the roof," They made a very long
hook-stick, and got upon the roof. As the old hag fried her
cakes she placed them upon a dish by her. Her cat, meanwhile,
eat by her side. The boys with their long hook, from the top of
the roof, fished up the warm cakes one after the other, as the old
hag placed them on the diah. As the cat was by her side, and
every time she placed a cake on the dish she found the other
gone, she kept repeating and exclaiming: — " Shoo, you naughty
thiefof a pussy, how can you manage to eat so many cakes?"
These brothers were consecrated to St. Peter, and when they
heard what the old hag said, they began to laugh, imable to
suppress theit merriment. The old hag, looking up towards the
toof, startled, saw the boys, and told them to come down. The
boys feared to do so, and refused to descend ; but the old witch
so managed to threaten, and then to cajole them, that she at
last induced them to come down from the roof. When she saw
them down she addressed them: — " Look here, my children,
stand on this baker's peel for an instant." The boys replied,
" No, no, old lady, you get upon it first, and one can then easily
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62 FOBTDGUBSE FOLK-TALES.
leam how it is to be done." The old witch, believing them to be
innocent and artless, stood upon the peel I " Saint Peter, come
to our help I " cried out the brothers, the moment they saw her
upon the peel. Saint Peter came, pushed the old hag into ^e
oven, stirred the fire, and shut the oven door. After this the
boye continned to partake of the remtuning cakes very com-
fbrtebly.
XV. — The Maiden with ths Eosu on heb FobbBead.
There was ouce a prince and a princess who were brother and
sister, and were very great friends. The prince had a garden
which no one was allowed to cultivate but hlmBelf. As it
happened he had to go to the war; and he was sony to go,
because he did not like to trust any one with the care of his own
garden. His sister, however, said to him : — " Dear brother,
have no anxiety about your garden, leave it to me, and I promise
you that no one but myself shall look after it." The prince then
departed, well pleased with his sister's arrangement. The princess
not wishing to leave the garden for one minute, as her brother
was there constantly when at home, had her couch brought to
the garden and placed under a large rose tree. After a time she
gave birth to a child, a girl, with a rose on her forehead. The
princess was much distressed at this, as it had come upon her
without her knowledge, and she was always in the garden day
and night. The child began to grow, and the mother sent her
to school, enjoined her very particularly never to make herself
known to any one, because, if she did, she would kill her. The
child went to school; and the prince was expected to arrive
home very shortly, and it was thought probable that as soon as
he should reach the capital, he would go and visit all the schoola
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THE MAIDEK WITH TH£ ROSE ON HER FOBEHEAD. 63
and colleges, as well as the school wbete the tittle princess went
to. The princess, who knew this, told her little daughter that
the prince would visit her school, but that she was on no account
to make herself known to him, as otherwise she would put her
to death.
When the prince at last visited the sud school he immediately
noticed a new &ce and said ; " Ah 1 there is one girl more since I
last was here, I see ! " The other children talked and made a
noise, but this little one never once raised her head, that the
rose on her forehead, should not be noticed ; nor did she laugh
and be merry like the others. The prince, addressing the
children, aeked which of them would make him a shirt The
girls all answered at once: " I will, I will, I will," but the girl
with the rose on her forehead remained silent. The prince
noticed this and said, " Then the girl who has remained silent
and has not said whether she would or not is the one who shall
have the honour given her of making me a shirt ! You will,
will you not?" The girl signified by a movement of the head
that she would. She went home and told her mother what the
prince had asked her to do for him. The prince never once
suspected any thing, and though the girl lived in the palace he
did not know it. The princess told her daughter to make the
ahirt, but on no account to make herself known to the prince
else she would have her put to death. The maiden went to
school, set to work, and finished the shirt in one day, and when
the prince came into the school she gave him the shirt ready
finished. He thanked her very graciously, and he found it very
well stitched and finished, but he never once noticed that she had
a rose on her forehead, as she always went about with her head
covered. When the prince came into the palace he told the
princess that he had found a girl in the school who waa very
clever and handy at her needle, for she had made him a shirt in
one day which was beautifully finbhed. As the prince finished
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64 POBTDGUESE FOLK-TALES.
saying this a raan passed by the palace Belling and crying out
cherrieB — he called the man and bought of him the basketBil of
cherries; he then took them to the school and gave the ^rls the
cherries to eat. They all began eating the fruit, much pleased,
and it was only the m^d with the rose on her forehead that did
not attempt to partake of thorn. The prince perceiving it asked
her, " Well then will you not taste some?" She made a sign
that she would not have any. The prince, surprised at not ever
having heard her speak, inquired of the mistress, " Is that little
girl dumb?" The mbtress replied, " She is very shy, and if any
one endeavours to make her speak or take any notice of her she
immediately begins to cry." The girl's all began to play with
the cherries and throw them about in their fun, but where should
one of them fall but on the little girls head who had a rose on
her forehead! Kext day, when her mother combed her h^r to
go to school, finding a cherry entangled in it said to her, " Ah !
tyrant, I see you have made yourself known," She stuck the
comb into her head violently and killed her. She then had the
corpse put into an iron chest together with all her jewels, and
locked the chest in a chamber of the palace; but after a while
from remorse and grief at what she had done to her poor
daughter she pined away and died. Before she died she gave
the prince the key of the room, telling him never to touch any-
thing in it. The brother, in order to comply with the princess's
injunction, took spedal care to keep those keys separate. The
princess died after she had said this.
The prince, feeling lonely, now decided to many, and gave his
wife all the keys, at the same time telling her that she could
open every door she liked except the one leading to the room
which his sister the princess had asked him before she died never
to examine. As the prince went one day to hunt, his mother-in-
law, who lived with them in the palace, had a great wish to open
this room, but her daughter told her not to do so because the
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THE MAIDEK WITH THE BOSE ON HEK FOREHEAD. 65
prince had enjoined her not. The mother then said that if the
prince objected to having that room opened tt yraa because it
contained something which he wished to conceal from her. At
last she insasted so much upon it that she obtained the key of the
room and opened it. They both went in, and the first thing
that they saw wob a large iron chest. The mother then said,
" Ah ! I shall see what we can find in that large chest." She
opened it and found inside a most beautifiil maiden with a star
on her forehead, who was sitting down engaged in emhroidenng.
When the mother saw her she said to her daughter, " Did not I~
tell you that there was some hidden secret here ? " The wife now,
jealous of the maiden's beauty, heated an iron, took the maiden
out of the chest, and burnt her skin with the heated iron, so that
she remained all over scorched. When the prince returned from
the hunt his wife said to him, " Do you know that I have
bought a mulatta girl to serve us to run errands? " The prince,
who was going to the &ir, asked his wife what she would like
him to bring her; but she told him to ask the mulatta girl what
she also would like. So the prince asked the maid what she
wished from the fiur. The girl replied that she did not wish
anything, but as he persisted in asking her to tell him something
she would like to have, she asked him to bring her a talisman.
When the prince returned from the fair he gave the girl the
talisman. She took it to her room and lay on her bed. As the
prince was curious to know what she would do with it, he hid
himself under the bed. The mulatta girl began to tell her
history to the stone, saying, " Oh ! talisman, I am the daughter
of a princess, sister to the prince my uncle, who lives in this
palace and is married. But he does not know that I am his
niece, for I was kept spell-bound in an iron chest; and his wife
and her mother burnt my skin all over with a hot iron, and I
remained scorched and browned; and when the prince returned
home from the hunt they told him that I was a muUtta girl,
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G6 POBTUOnESE rOLK-TALEB.
Now my talisman I have told you all my history, and you know
all my life." The prince \rho was listening attentively under tbe
bed, quickly came out, embraced the maiden, and asked her what
she dedred him to do to his wife, as he no longer would allow
her to remain in tiie palace. The maiden replied, " Do to her
the same she did to me." Tbe prince then ordered that tbe
same piece of iron should be heated and his wife to have her
skin well scorched with it, and that her mother should also
undergo the eame punishment, after which he inclosed them alive
* in a walL He lived in the palace with his niece and never more
entertained the idea of marrying.
XVL— The Pbincebs who would not biarby heb
Fatheb.
There was once a king and a queen. But a few years after
tiieir marriage the queen died. At her death she placed a ring
on a table, and bade the king many whomsoever that ring
should fit. It happened that their daughter, the princess, ap-
proached the table by chance, saw the ring, and tried it on. She
then ran to the king her father, and said : — " Sire, do you know
that a ring which I found on the table fits me as though it had
been made expressly for me I . . ." The king, on hearing this,
replied: — "Oh! ray daughter, you will have to marry me,
because your mother, before she died, expressed a wish that I
should marry whoever this ring would fit." The princess, greatly
diatreaaed, shut herself up in a room which had the window
looking into the garden, and gave vent to her grief. Soon, how-
ever, a little old woman appeared to her, and asked her: "Why
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THE PBITICB88 WHO WOULB ROT MAERT HEE FATHER. 67
do you weep, royal lady ? " To which the princess replied :
" Well, what else can I do? My father says that I must marry
him." The little old woman then said to hec: " Listen to me,
loyal lady, go and tell your father that you will only marry him
on condition that he buys you a dress of the colour of the stars
in the heavens." And ailer saying this she departed. The
princess then went up to the king, who asked her : " Well, my
daughter, are we to be married? " To which she replied : " Well,
father, I ehall marry you when you bring me a dress of the
colour of the stars in the heavens." The &ther, on hearing this,
went out and bought her the dress, and gave it'to her ready
made. The princess again went to hei room to ciy. The little
old woman again appeared to her, and asked her, " What aib
you, royal lady ? " She replied: '■ What can m1 me I my &ther
has bought me the dress I asked him for, and he wishes to man^
me." The old lady rejoined : " Never mind, you must now ask
him to bring you a dress of the colour of the flowers that grow in
the fields." The princess again went to her father and told him
that she could only marry him on condition of his bringing her a
robe of the colour of wild Sowers. The king bought tiie dress and
gave it to her made up, and quite ready to be put on. The princess,
again in trouble, retired to her diamber to weep. The old lady
again appeared and demanded : " What ails you, royal lady? "
To which the princess replied : '* What can ail m^ indeed ! my
&ther has bought me the second robe, and is determined to
matty me." The good old lady rejoined: " Ask your father now
for a robe of various colours." The princess did so, and asked for
a robe of various colours, and the king bought her the dress and
brought it to her ready to be put on. The princess returned to
her chamber to weep over her new trouble, but the little old
woman came to her and asked her what troubled her. The
princess replied that the king had bought her the third robe she
required of him, and was now determined that the matriage
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68 POBTUQDE8B FOLK-TALES.
should take pUc«. " And now what shall I do to prevent it? "
inquired tlie princess. The little old woman replied; " Bojal
lady, you must now send for a carpenter and order him to make
you a dr«88 of wood; get inside it and go to the palace of the
king who lives yonder, who requires a servant to tend the ducks."
The princess did as she was told, had a drees made of wood, put
all her jewels, and everything else she would require, inside, and
getting insde it herself; and one fine day she ran away. Slic
walked on and on until she arrived at the said palace. She
knocked at the door, and told the servanta to ask his majesty the
king if he required a maid to mind the ducks. He replied that
he did ; and he asked her what her name was, and she rejoined
that her name was Haria do Pau; and after this the king sent
her to tend the ducks, which were in a field next to the palace
gardens. The moment the princess reached it she took off every-
thing she had on, and the wooden dress also; she washed her-
self, as ehe was travel-stained, and then put on the richest robe
she had, which was the one the colour of the stars. The king
was taking a walk in the garden, and noticed a lovely maiden
who was in the field driving the ducks, and heard her repeat —
" Ducks here, dncka there.
The daughter of a king tends the docks,
A thing nerer seen before I ''
When she had finished saying this she killed one of the ducks;
then took qS> her robes, and again got into her wooden dress.
At night she went indoors, saying: "Oh! king, I have killed
one of the ducks." The king asked her : "Maria do Pau, who
was that beautiful maiden so splendidly robed that minded the
ducks?" To this she said: "Indeed there was no one else
there but myself in disguise." Next day the king again sent
Maria do Pau to tend the ducks. And when she was in the field
she did the same thing ae the day before. She took off her
wooden dress, washed and combed herself carefully, put on the
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THE FBINCBSS WHO WOULD NOT HARBT HER FATHER. 69
robe the colour of wild flowers, and went about driving the
ducks, Baying as before : —
" DnclB here, dncka there.
The d&nghter of a king tends the dncks,
A thing never seen before."
Aller which she killed another duck. Next day she did as the
day before, put on the robe of man; colours, and killed another
duck. In the evening when ehe went indoors, the king said to
her: ** I do not wish you to take care of the ducks any longer,
for every day we find a duck has been killed 1 Mow you shall
remain locked up in the house. We are to have a feast which
will last three days, but I promise ^ou that you shall not enjoy
it, for I shall not allow you to go to it." To this she said to
the king: " Oh I my liege, do let me go." But the king replied,
" No, indeed, you shall not go." On the first day of the feast
she again begged of the king to allow her to repair to it, and
hie majesty replied: " God, preserve me! What would be the
consequences of taking Maria do Fau to the feast I " The king
put on his gala robes and then sent for her to his chamber,
asked her what dress she would like to put on, and the princess
replied by asking him to give her a pair of boots, which the
king threw at her and took hie departure for the feast. She
then repaired to her chamber and removed from inside the dress
made of wool a wand she had, which the tittle old woman, who
was a &iry, had given her, and holding it up she said: "Oh I
divining rod, by the virtue that God gave you, send me here
the best royal carriage, which is the very one that took the king
to the feast." The carriage was instantly in sight, and entering
it she made her appearance at the teast, in the robe of the colour
of the stars. The king, who had his eyes continually fixed upon
her, went out to the guards and told them not to allow the
maiden to pass. But when she wished to get out she throw
them a bag of money, and the guards allowed her to pass.
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70 PORTUGUESE FOLK-TALES.
but they aeked lier to what country she belonged, to which
she replied that she came from the hind of the boot. The
king went home, and on arriving found the princees was already
in the palace. The king, who wished to find out whether
the lovely maiden which he had seen at the feast could
poBsibly be Maria do Pau, went to see if she was safe in her
chamber, and afterwards sent for htr and and said to her : " Oh I
Maria do Pau, do you happen to know where the land of the
boot is (dtuflted?" *' Ob! my liege, do not come troubling me
with your queBtions. Is it possible that your majesty does not
know where the land of the boot is situated?" The king
relied: " I do not. A maiden was at the feast. I asked her
where she came from, and she said that she came from the land
of the boot, but I do not know where that is." Next day the
king again attended the feast, but before leaving he said to
Maria' do Pau: *' You shall not be allowed to go there." " Do
allow me for once," replied she. The king then asked her to
give him the towel, and as she presented him with it he threw
it at her, and departed for the feast. The princess repaired to
her room, struck the divining rod, and put on the robe, which
was the colour of the wild flowers. The king who had been
charmed with her on the first day of the feast, now admired her
all the more, because she appeared more beautiful than ever.
He went out to the guards and told them to aek the beauUful
maiden when she passed to what country she belonged; and
when she went out she informed them that she was &om the
land of the towel. As soon as the king was told of this he re-
turned to the palace to think over, and try to guess, if possible,
where the land of the towel could be situated. And when he
arrived at the palace the first thing he did was to ask his mtud
if she knew where the land of the towel could be found. To his
inquiries she replied : " Well, well ! here comes a king who
does not know, and cannot t«ll, where the land of the towel is
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THE PRINCESS WHO WOULD NOT MARRY HEE FATHER, 7 I
situated! Neither do I know," The king now said: "Oh!
Maria do Pan, every time that I hare been at the feast I have
seen such a pretty maiden. If the one I saw yesterday was
beautiful, the one of to-day is perfectly lovely, and much more
charming than the first." Next day as the king was on the point
of going out the princess said to hb majesty: " Oh ! ray liege,
let me go to ^e feast, that I may see the maiden that is ao
beautirull" The king replied: "God, preserve me! What
would be the result if I were to present you before that maiden?''
After which he asked her to give him his walking-stick, and as
he was going out he struck her with it. He went to the feast,
and when there the princess presented herself before him in ^e
robe of many colours. If on the previous daj's she appeared most
beautiful, on this day of the feast she looked perfectly ravishing,
and more interesting than ever. The king fixed his eyes upon her
so as not to lose sight of her, as he wished to see her go oat, and
follow her to where she lived, as it was the last day of the feast.
But the king missed seeing her depart after all, and he could
find her nowhere. He went to the guards and asked them what
she had said, but the guards replied that she had corae from the
land of the walking-stick. The king returned to the palace
and inquired of his maid where the land of the walking-stick
conld be found; but she replied: " Oh ! my liege, that I should
know where the land of the walking-stick is situated. Does not
my liege Imow ? — neither do I." The king again asked her:
" Do you really not know? To-day I again saw the same girl
who is BO beautilul; but I begin to think it cannot be the same
one every time, because at one time she says that she comes from
thelandof the boot, next time that she is from thelandof the towel,
and lastly she says she is from the land of the walking-stic^.
The princess repaired to her room, washed and combed her-
self, and dressed herself in the robe she had on on the first day
of the feast. The king went to look through the key-hole to
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72 POBTUGUBSB FOLK-TALES.
find out why she was bo long away and remained in her chamber
so quiet, and also to see what she was at. He saw a lovely
maiden, the same one who had appeared at the feast dressed in
the robe the colour of the stars in the heavens, sitting down busy
with some embroidery. When the princess left her chamber to
repair to the dinner-table again disguised the king said te her:
" Oh 1 Maria do Pau, you must embroider a pair of shoes for
me." She replied: " Do Iknow how to embroider shoea?" and
she left the parlour to go back to her chamber. Every day she
put on one of the dresses she had worn at the feast, and on the
last day she robed herself with the one of many colours. The
king begged her every day to embroider him a pair of shoes, and
she always returned the same answer. He had a key made to
open the princess's room, and one day when he saw through tbe
key-hole that she was robed in her best, he suddenly opened the
door without her perceiving it and entered the chamber. The
princess startled, and very much frightened, tried to run away,
but the king said to her: " Do not be troubled for you shall
marry me ! But I wish you first to tell me your history, and
why itis that you wear a wooden dress." The princess recounted
all the events of her life and the king married her. The king
next sent for the little old woman who had given her the wand,
to come and live in the palace, but she refused to live there
because she was a fairy.
XVII. — The Baker's Idle Son.
There was a woman baker who had a very indolent son.
When the other boys went to gather firewood and he was told
to go also he never would go. The mother was very unhappy
to have such a lazy son, and really did not know what she should
do with him. As she one day insisted upon his joining the other
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THE BAKEB'S idle BON. 73
boys he went along with them, but the moment they reached the
wood whilst the other boys were collecting the sticks and small
bmncbes of trees for firewood he went to lie down by the aide of
a brook and began to eat what he had brought with him. While
he was doing so a fish came close to him and began to eat up
all the crumbs he let fall, until at last he caught it. The fish
entreated him not to kill him, that he would do for him all he
could wish for. The lazy boy, who did not trust the fish, said to
it, " In the name of my God, and of my fish, I wish that
this very moment a faggot of wood larger than any of the
ones held by the other boys, shall appear before me, and
that the bundle shall proceed without my being seen under it."
All at once a faggot made its appearance ready tied; and he
then allowed the fish to go back into the sea. He turned to
go home, and as he passed the palace, the king, who was at
the window with the princess, was very much astonished to see
the faggot move along by itself; and the princess was so very
much amused at it that she laughed. The lazy boy then said:
" In the name of God, and of my fish, let the princess have a
son without its being known whose son he is." The princess
then began to feel that she was with child, and the king became
very displeased with hei, and ordered her to be imprisoned in a
tower with her maids of honour. After a time she gave birth
to a male child. The lazy boy returned to the wood, and the
fish again appeared and told him that the princess had ^ven
birth to a son. The lazy boy, being instructed by the fish,
ordered a palace to be erected which should be more splendid
than the one belonging to the king. There was a garden in
this palace replete with flowers of every colour and shade, and,
wonderful to relate, there was an orchard full of frait trees in
which grew an orange tree with twelve golden oranges. All
this was brought about by the fish and the fairies. The lazy boy
went to this palace transformed into a prince, and no one knew
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74 POBTUQUB8B FOLK-TALES.
him to be anytbitig else. The king Bent a message asking to see
&e palace, and he replied that he would be most happy to show
him over it, and sent his majes^ an invitation to breakfast and
to all his court. The king and his chamberlains were much
surprised on their arrival to see so much luxury and splendour.
After they had inspected the whole palace th^ went into the
garden. They were charmed with the variety of flowers in it,
but were much more astotuBhed to see an orange tree bearing
golden oranges. The lazy boy informed the king and his
courtiers that they could take of everything in the garden which
they might desire, except gathering any of the oranges. They
all returned to the palace and sat down to the break&st. When
the breakfast was over, and the king was taking his departure
to return to his own palace, the lazy boy told the king that he
was much surprised to find that after he had treated them bo
luxuriously they should have gathered one of the golden
oranges. The courtiers all commenced to deny that any of them
had taken the orange, and took off their coats that he might see
for himself that they had not been guilty of the accusation. The
king, who felt very much abashed, was now the only one who
had not been examined. He took off bis coat and nothing was
found on examination in ite pockets; but the lazy boy asked
him to look carefully agun when he had put his coat on, because
since his courtiers had not taken the orange it must be himself
who had. The king then put his hands again in his pocket and
drew out the orange, very much confused and ashamed, for he
could not imagine how it could have come there as he had not
touched the oranges. The lazy boy then said to him that the
very same thing had happened to the princess who had borne a
son without knowing by whom. The spell under which the fish
was bound was then broken, and it was transformed into a
prince and married the princess. The lazy bc^ returned home a
rich man.
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THE HEABTH-OAT.
SVIII.— The Hearth-Cat.
There was' once a BohoolmistreBB who was a widow, and had a
daughter who was very plain. This miBtreee had a pupil who
was very pretty, and the daughter of a traveller. The miBtress
was very attached to her father, and every day would heg the girl
to ask him to marry her, promising to give her porridge made
with honey. The girl went home to aek her father to marry her
Bchoolmistress, as she would then give her porridge made with
honey. To thia request the &ther replied that he would not
marry her, for he well knew that though she said now that she
would give her porridge made with honey, later on she would
give her porridge with gall. Yet, as the child began to cry,
begging her father to consent, the father, who loved hia child
very much, in order to comfort her, replied that he would order
a pair of boots to be made of iron, and hang them up until the
boots would rust to pieces with age, when he would marry the
mistress. The little girl, very pleased to hear this, went imme-
diately to tell the mistresa, who then instructed her pupil to wet
the boots every day. The little girl did bo, and after a while the
boots fell to pieces, and she went and told her father of it. He
then said that he would marry the mistress, and on the following
day married her. So long as the father was at home the child
was treated with kindness and affection, but the moment he went
out tlie mistress was very unkind to her, and treated her badly.
She one day sent her to graze a cow, and gave her a loaf, which
she desired her to bring back whole, and an earthen pot with
water, out of which she expected her to dnnk, and yet was to bring
back full. One day the mistresB told the girl that she wielied her
to employ herself in winding some skeins of thread until the
evening. The little girl went away crying and bewailing her lot;
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76 POBTUQUE8E FOLK-TALES.
but the cow comforted her, and told her not to be distressed,— to
fix the skein on her horns and unravel the thread. The good
cow after that took oat all the crumb from the loaf by making a
small hole with one of her horns, and then stopped the aperture,
and gave the girl the loaf back again entire. In the evening the
girl returned home. When her stepmo^er saw that she had
finished her task, and brought all the thread ready wound, she
was very vexed and wanted to beat her, saying that she was sure
the cow had had something to do with it, and next day ordered the
animal to be killed. At this the girl began to cry very bitterly,
but the step-mother told her that she would have to clean and
wash the cow's entrails in s tank they had, however grieved she
might feel for the loss of the animal. The cow, however, again
told the girl not to be troubled, but to go and wash her entrails,
but was to be careM to save whatever she saw come out of them.
The girl did so, and when she was cleaning them she saw a ball
of gold come out and fall into the water. The girl went into the
tank to search for it, and there she saw a house with everything in
it in disorder, and she began to arrange and make the house look
tidy. She suddenly heard footsteps, and in her hurry she hid her-
self behind the door. The fairies entered and began to look about,
and a dog came in also with them, and went up to where she was
and began to bark, sajring: " Bow, bow, bow, behind the door
hides somebody who did us good, and will yet render us more
services. Bow, bow, bow, behind the door hides somebody who
has done iis good, and will yet render us more services." The
fairies, as they searched about, hearing the dog bark, discovered
where the girl was hiding, and began to say to her, " We
endow you by the power we possess with the gift of beauty,
making you the most lovely maiden ever seen." The next fairy
then said, " I cast a sweet spell over you, so that when you open
\our mouth to speak, pearls and gold shall drop from your lips."
The third fairy coming forward said, " I endow you with every
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THE HEABTH-CAT. 77
blessing, making jou the happiest maiden in the world. Take
this wand, it will grant you whatever jou may aak." The girl
then left the enchanted region, and returned home, and as soon
as the mistress's daughter saw her approach she commenced to
cry out to her mother to come quickly and see the hearth-cat,
who had come back at last. The mistreis ran to greet her, and
asked her where and what she had been doing all that time.
The girl related the contrary of what she had seen, as the fairies
bad instructed her to do — that she had found a tidy house, and
that she had disarranged everything in it, to make it look un-
tidy. The mistress sent her own daughter there, and she had
hardly arrived at the house when she began at once to do as her
half-sister had told her; she disarranged everything, to make the
house look untidy and uncared for. And when she heard the
fairies coming in she hid behind the door. The little dog saw
her, and harking at her said, " Behind the door stands one who
has done us much harm, and will still continue to molest ua.
Bow, bow, bow, behind the door stands one who has done us much
harm, and will continue to molest us on the Srst opportunity."
The fairies hearing this approached her, and one began to say,
" I throw a spell over you which will render you the ugliest
maid that can be found." The next one took up the word and
said, " I bewitch you, so that when you attempt to speak all
manner of filth shall fall out of your mouth." And the third
fairy said, " I also bewitch you, and you shall become the poorest
and most wretched maid in existence." The mistress's daughter
returned home, thinking she was looking quite a beauty ; but
when she came up close to her mother, and began to speak, the
mother burst out crying on seeing her own daughter so dis-
figured and wretched. Full of rage, she sent her step-daughter
to the kitchen, saying, that she was the hearth-cat, and that she
should take care that «he kept there, as the only place which
was fit for her. On a certain day the mistress and her daughter
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78 POETUQnEBB FOLK-TALES.
repaired to some races which were then taking pkce, bat when
the gill saw that they had left the house, she asked her diTining
rod to give her a very handsome dress, boots, a hat, and every-
thing complete. She dressed and adorned herself with all she
had, and went to the races, and stood in &ont of the royal stand.
The miatress's daughter instantly saw her, and began to exclaim
and cry oat at the top of her voice, in the midst of all the people
present, sajnng, " Oh ! mother, mother, that beaatiful maiden
over there is our very hearth-cat." The mother, to quiet her,
told her to be calm ; that the maiden was not her step-sister, as
she had remained at home under lock and key. The races were
hardly over when the girl departed home ; but the king, who
had seen her, was in love with her. The moment the mother
reached home she asked the hearth-cat whether she had been
out. She replied, that she had not ; and showed her face be-
smeared with smut. Next day the girl asked the wand to strike
and give her another dress which would be more splendid than
the previous one. She put on her things and repaired to ^e
races. The moment the king perceived her he felt very pleased
indeed; but the races were hardly concluded than she retired in
haste, and went into her carriage and drove home, leaving the
king more in love than ever with her. The third day the girl
asked the divining rod to give her a garment which should sur-
pass the oth^ two in richness and beauty, and other shoes; and
she went and attended the races. When the king saw her, he
was delighted, but was again disappointed to see her depart
before the races were concluded. In her hurry to enter her
carriage quickly, she let fall one of her slippers. The king
picked it up and returned to the palace, and fell lovesick. The
slipper had some letters npon it which said, " This shoe will only
£t its owner." The whole kingdom was searched to find the
lady whose foot would be fonnd to fit the slipper exactly, yet no
one was foimd. The Bchootmistress went to the palace to try
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THE AtTNTS. 79
the slipper on, but all her efibrts were in vatn. Af^r her, hei
daughter followed, and endeavoured her best to fit the slipper on,
but with no better success. There only remained the hearth-
cat. The king inquired who was the next to try on the
slipper, and asked the mistress if there was any other lady left
in her house who could fit on the slipper. The schoolmistress
then said that there only remained a hearth-cat in her house, but
that she had never worn such a slipper. The king ordered the
girl to be brought to the palace, and the mistress had no alterna-
tive but to do so, The king himself insisted on trying the slipper
on the girl's foot, and the moment she put her little foot into
the slipper and drew it on, it fiUed exactly. The king then
arranged that she should remain in the palace and married her.
And he ordered the mistress and her daughter to be put to
death.
XIX.— The Axjhts.
There was an old woman who had a granddaughter; and
whilst one day the girl was looking out of the window, the king,
happening to pass by the house at the time, was immediately
struck With her beauty. He knocked at the door, and the old
woman came to open the door, and asked his majesty what might
be his pleasure. The king replied that he wished to see the
maiden. The old woman then told him that the maiden he had
seen at the window would make him a shirt that could be drawn
through the eye of a needle. The king hearing this, said that
he would marry the maiden if she succeeded in doing such a
wonderful thing; but that in the event of her not succeeding, he
would have her put to death. When the king departed, the girl
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80 PORTUGUESE FOLK-TALES.
who had not eaid or thought of doing such a thing began to
weep: an old woman however appeared to her, and told her not
to be troubled, for she would make the shirt for her, but she
must promise her to call her " aunt " before every one present at
the wedding banquet on her marriage day. The maiden readily
promised her to do so ; after which the shirt appeared all at once
ready made, and it was given to the king. On receiving the
shirt the king said that he was not yet satisfied, and that the
girl must prove herself more clever still. Upon which the grand-
mother told him that her granddaughter could hear anything
that was said three leagues off. When the maiden knew of tbb
she commenced to cry again, but the woman returned and in-
formed her that if she promised to call her "aunt " on the day
of the marriage, before every one, she would tell her what the
king would say at the hunt he had gone to three leagues off.
The girl promised to comply; and the woman shortly aft«r came
and informed her of what the king had said at the hunt. The
grandmother then went to the king to tell him. But, as his
majesty required yet more proofs of the maiden's extraordinary
cleverness, the granny told him that her daughter was so quick
at her work, that she could wind in half-an-hour a whole skein
of thread. When the ^rl heard of this she began to weep,
because she knew she was not able to do so. The woman, how-
ever, who always came to her help, returned once more and
offered to do it for her if she complied with the usual promise;
which the maiden readily agreed to, and immediately the skein
appeared ready wound. The day of the marriage was at last
fixed upon, and the king married the maiden. Whilst they were
sitting at the banquet which was given on the occasion, a knock
was suddenly heard at the door of the hall, and a woman entered
who was exceedingly ugly and had very large prominent eyes.
The maiden, now a queen, rose at once from the table, and
addressed her in this way : " Good afternoon, aunt, give me
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THE CABBAGE STALK. 81
your blessing I" Every one present was much surprised at what
they saw and heard; but the ugly woman, turning towards the
king, explained to him that the reason of her having such very
large eyes came from straining them to make a shirt that could
pass through the eye of a needle. After a while another knock
was heard at the door, and in came another woman with exceed-
ing large ears. The queen rose and Baluted her thus, " Good
afternoon, auntj bestow me your blessing I" Every one pre-
sent was much surprised, but the woman went up to the king
and explained that her ears had become so exceedingly large
from her constantly listening to what was said at the distance of
three leagues. Kot long after this a third knock was heard, and
another woman entered who was very, very ugly, and had very
long arms. The queen rose f^ora the tabic and said to her,
saluting her, " Good afternoon, aunt, bestow your blessing upon
me."' All the people were much astonished, but the woman
told the king that she had such long arms because she had been
obliged to wind a whole skein in haU-an-hour. The king then
rose and said to the queen that he did not require her to make
the shirt, nor to hear what was said at the distance of three
leagues, nor did he expect her to wind a whole skein of thread
in half-an-hour. And thus it was that the maiden was saved
from having to accomplish what her grandmother had told the
king she was capable of doing.
XX. — The Cabbage Stalk.
There lived once a little maid who was the daughter of poor
people. This girl had a cabbage which grew in her kitchen
garden, and she was in the habit of watering il. The lime maid
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62 PORTUGUESE FOLK-TiXSfi
was always watching the cabhage sprout to see when it would
come to seed. One day she noticed that on the cabbage stalk
there was formed a ladder by which one could descend into the
ground. She went down theee steps and quickly found hersell
in a splendid palace in which there was a tabic very well bid
out, and a beautiful bed. The maid eat down at the table and
partook of the good things laid upon it with avidity, and went
up again along the cabbage stalk and returned home. WheneveT
she feit hungry she would secretly go down the steps on the
cabbage stalk and feast upon the delicacies she found in the
palace. The little maid was growing fat, much to the surprise
of her father and mother, who never saw her eat anything. At
night when her parents were gone to sleep she would very quietly
descend the cabbage stalk, and lie down to sleep on a beautitiil
couch which she found prepared in the palace. The mother, who
began to suspect her daughter, one night arose from her bed to
follow her down the ladder. She watched and saw her daughter
get upon her couch, in which there was a beast. The mothei
then lit a candle, went to the couch, and uncovered the bed-
clothes. Three drops of candle-grease fell upon the sleeping
beast and immediately it became transformed into a prince. The
prince then said to the mother : " You little know the harm you
have done me I You have broken my spell, and now I cannot
marry your daughter 1" He then told the little maid to leave
the palace, and gave her a rock of gold, a pair of iron shoes, and
a staff, and said when the shoes were worn out to come again to
see him in the palace. The little maid departed, and walked and
walked on until at last the shoes began to wear out and she went
about begging for alms. She met an old woman and she asked
her to give her some things whilst she related her history to her.
The old woman told her that she was no longer in time to marry
the prince because there was a princess already in the palace
who was destined for him. The old woman then gave her a
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THE CABBAGE STALE. 83
rock of gold, a apiiming-wheel, and a reel, and took leare of
her, wishing her good luck. The maid arrived at the palace
gate with her ehocB and garments all torn, and begged for alms,
and when the princesa saw her standing on a rock of gold she sent
to ask her for it. The maid replied that if she gave her the lock
of gold she must allow her to go into the prince's chamber and
sleep there one night, The princess would not consent, but the
prince's mother told her to allow her to sleep at the prince's feet,
for there was no fear that he would be aware of it, aB she would
take care to give him a sleeping-draught. And so it happened
the maid went into the chamber to sleep without the prince
knowing it, and during ihe night as she awoke she began to
say—
" Prince ot love
I hare come man; leagues,
To tee thee, oh, mj Lord !
My ahoee are torn ■-
M7 staff ia traTel-wom,
Tet here I am come back to thee 1"
The prince made no reply to this, and as soon as the day
dawned they sent her away ; but the prince remained quite
ignorant of her stay there. The maid, however, continued before
the palace gate at her wheel spinning, and the princess seeing her
sent to ask her for her spinning-wheel of gold. The maid replied
that she would only give it to her on condition of her allowing
her to remain and sleep in the prince's apartment another night.
The princess consented, but made her promise to leave the
chamber early in the morning. The maid entered and again
settled herself to sleep at the prince's feet, and on awakening
repeated her former appeal —
"Prince of lOTe
I hare come many leagaee,
To Bee thee, oh, my Lord I
My shoei are torn —
My stafi travel worn,
Tet here I am come back to thee.
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84 POBTnOUESE FOLK-TALES.
To this the prince, as before, made no reply, fdr he wan fast
asleep. The maid again left the chamber very early; but a valet
who appeared to occupy an apartment next to the prince told
him what he had heard repeated during the night. The prince
was much astoniehed to hear it, and ewore he would not take the
usual draught next evening as he retired to rest. Next day the
princess saw the maid again at her work before the palace, and
as she remarked she had a golden reel she went to ask her for it.
The maid replied that she would on condition that the favour
she had begged for on the previous evening should be granted
her once more. To this the princess said she consented, and
sent the prince the usual draught to take that night. But the
prince made only a pretence to drink it, and threw it away, and
then ordered his valet to leave the chamber. During the night
the little maid repeated —
" FriDce of lore
I hdTe come manj leagues,
To see thee, oli, mj Lord t
Mj Bhoes lire torn —
Mj staff trayel wiirn,
Tet here I am come back to tbee I"
The moment the prince heard her he felt very pleased, but
the next moment he was much distressed in his mind because he
remembered that he was already engaged to be married to the
princess. He told the little maid to remain and not to leave
his chamber. And when the marriage day arrived he asked the
princess's fether to settle s question for him, which was this:
that his apartment had two keys; the first had been mislaid and
lost, but he ever had hopes of finding it: now that he had a
new key which he had ordered to be made, the old one had
DDiioiircd — which ought he, he therefore asked his majesty to
advise him, to keep ? The king replied that in this case he
advised him to retain the old one- The prince then recounted
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THE SEVEN IRON SLIPPERS. 85
to bis majesty the whole histoiy of the little maid, and reminded
him at the same time that he it was who had given the sentence.
He married the little maid, and the princess went to another
kingdom.
XXI. — The Seven Iron Slippebs.
There lived once together a king and u queen, and a princess
who was their daughter. The princess had worn out every
evening seven pairs of slippers made of iron ; and the king could
not make out how that could be, though he was always trying
to find out. The king at last issued a decree, that whosoever
should be able to find out how the princess managed to wear out
seven slippers made of iron in the short space of time between
morning and evening, he would give the princess in marriage if
he were a man, and if a woman he. would marry her to a prince.
It happened that a soldier was walking along an open country
road carrying on his back a sack of oranges, and he saw two men
fighting and giving each other great blows. The soldier went
up to them and asked them, " Oh, men, why are you givingeach
othur such blows ? " " Why indeed should it be ! " they replied,
" because our father is dead, and he has left us this cap, and we
both wish to possess it." " Is it possible that for the sake of a
cap you should be fighting?" inquired the soldier. The men
then said, " The reason is that this cap has a charm, and if any
one puts it on and says, " Cap, cover me so that no one shall see
me I no one can see us." The soldier upon hearing this said to '
them, " I'll tell you what I can do for you ; you let me remain
here with the cap whilst I throw this orange to a great distance,
and you run after it, and the one that shall pick it up first shall
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8o POKTDGDEBE FOLK-TALEB.
be the possessor of the cap." The men agreed to this, and the
soldier threw the orange to a great distance, as &r as he pos^bly
could, whilst the men both rin to pick it up. Here the soldier
without loss of time put on the cap saying, " Cap, make me
invisible." When the men returned with the orange they could
see nothing and nobody. The soldier went away with the cap, and
further on he met on his road two other men fighting, and he
said to them, " Oh, foolish men, why do jou g^ve each other
such blows?" The men rfplied, "Indeed, you may well ask
why, if it were not that father died and lefl us this pair of boots,
and we, each of us, wish to be the sole possessor of them." The
soldier replied, " Is it possible that for the matter of a pair of
boots you should be fighting thus?" And they replying said,
" It is because these boots are charmed, and when one wishes to
go any distance he has only to say : ' Boots take me here or
there,' whereTer one should wish to go, and instantly they conTey
one to any place," The soldier said to them, " I will tell you
what to do ; I will throw an orange to a great distance, and you
give me the boots to keep; ypu run for the orange, and the first
who shall pick it up shall have the pair of boots." He threw the
orange to a great distance and both men ran to catch it. Upoa
this the soldier said, " Cap, make me invisible, boots take me to
the city I " and when the men returned they missed the boots,
and the soldier, for he had gone away. He arrived at the capital
and heard the decree read which the king had promulgated, and
he began to consider what he had better do in this case. " With
this cap, and with these boots I can surely find out what the
princess does to wear out seven pairs of slippers made of iron in
one night." He went and presented himself at the palace.
When the king saw him he said, *' Do you really know a way of
finding out how the princess, ray daughter, can wear out seven
slippers in one night? " The soldier replied, " I only ask you
to let me try " '* But you must remember," said the
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THE SETEN IBON SLIPFERS. 87
king, " that if at the end of three days you have not found out the
myBtery, I shall order you to be put to death." The soldier to
this replied that he was prepared to take the consequences. The
king ordered him to remain in the palace. Every attention was
paid to all his wants and wishes, he had his meals with the king
at the same table, and slept in the princess's room. But what
did the princess do? She took him a beverage to his bedside
and gave it to him to drink. This beverage was a sleeping
draught which she gave him to make him sleep all night. Next
morning the soldier had not seen the princess do anjrthing, for he
had slept very soundly the whole night. When he appeared at
breakfast the king asked him, " Well, did you see anything ? "
" Your majesty must know that I have seen nothing whatever."
The king said, " Look well what you are at, for now there only
remains two days mote for you, or else you die 1 " The soldier
replied, " I have not the least misgivings." Night came on and
the princess acted aa before. Next morning the king asked him
again at breakfast, " Well, have you seen anything last night ? "
The Holdier replied, " Your majesty must know that I have seen
nothing whatever." " Be careful, then, what you do, only one
day more and you die I " The soldier replied, " I have no mis-
givings." He then began to think it over. " It is very curious
that I should sleep all night — it cannot be from anything else
but irom drinking the beverage which the princess gives me. . ,
Leave me alone, I knotr what I shall do ; when the princess
brings me the cup I shall pretend to drink, but shall throw away
the beverage." The night came and the princess did not &il to
bring him the beverage to drink to his bedride. The soldier
made a pretence to drink it, but instead threw it away, and
feigned sleep though he was awake. In the middle of the night
he saw the princees rise up, prepare to go out, and advance
towards the door to leave. What did he do then ? He put on
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88 POKTUanESK fui.k-tales.
the cap, drew on the boots, and said, " Cap make me inTisible,
lioote take me wherever the princess goes,'*
The princess entered a carriage, and the soldier followed her
into the carriage and accompanied her. He saw the carriage
stop at the seashore. The princess then embarked on board a
vessel decked with flags. The soldier on seeing this said, '* Cap,
cover ine, that I may be invisible," and embarked with the prin-
cess. She reached the land of giants, and when oa passing the
first sentinel, he challenged her with " Who's there?" "The
Princess of Harmony," she replied. The sentinel rejoined, " Pass
with your suite," The princess looked behind her, and not see-
ing any one following her she said to hei-self, " The sentinel
cannot be in his sound mind; he said 'pass with your suite;' ! do
not see any one." She reached the second sentinel, who cried out
at the top of his voice, "Who's there?" "The Princess of
Harmony," replied the princess. " Pass with your suite," said
the sentinel. The princess was each time more and more
astonished. She came to the third sentinel, who challenged her
as the others had done, " Who's there?" "The Princess of
Harmony." "Pass on with your suite," rejoined the sentinel.
The princess as before wondered what the man could mean.
After journeying for a long time the soldier who followed her
closely saw the princess arrive at a beautiful palace, enter in, and
go into a hall for dancing, where he saw many giants. The
prini.>.esE sat upon a seat by the side of her lover who iras a giant.
The soldier hid himself under their seat. The band struck up,
and she rose to dance with the giant, and when she finbhed the
dance she had her iron slippers all in pieces. She took them oflf"
and poshed them under her seat. The soldier immediately took
possession of them and put them inside his sack. The princess
agun sat down to converse witii her lover. The band again
struck up some dance music and the princess rose to dance.
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THE SEVtN lUON SLIPPEBS. 89
When she finished this dance another of her slippers had worn
out. She took them off and left them under her seat. The
soldier put these also into his sack. Finally, she danced seven
times, and each time she danc«d she tore a pair of slippers made
of iron. The soldier kept tliem all in his sack. After the ball
the princess sat down to converse with her lover; and what did
the soldier do? He turned their chairs over and threw them
both on the middle of the floor. They were very much surprised
and they searched everywhere and through all the houses and
could find no one. The giants then looked out for a book of
fates they had, wherein could be seen the course of the winds and
other auguries peculiar to their race. They called in a black
servant to read in the hook and find out what was the matter.
The soldier rose up from where he was and said, " Cap, make
me invisible." He then gave the negro a slap on the face, the
negro fell to the ground, while he took possession of the book
and kept it. The time was approaching when the princess must
depart and return home, and not being able to stay longer she
went away. The soldier followed her and she returned by the
same way she came. She went on board and when she reached
the city the carriage wa^ already waiting for her. The soldier
then said, " Boots take me to the palace," and he arrived there,
took oS his clothes, and went to bed. When the princess arrived
she found everything in her chamber just as she left it, and even
found the soldier fast asleep. In the morning the king said,
" Well, soldier, did you see anything remarkable last night ? "
" Be it known to your majesty that I saw no0iing whatever last
night," replied the soldier. The king then said, " According to
what you say, I do not know if you are aware that you must die
to-day." The soldier replied, " If it is so I must have patience,
what else can I do ? " When the princess heard this she rejoiced
much. The king then ordered that everything for the execution
should be prepared before the palace windows. When the soldier
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90 POBTDGUESE FOLK-TALES.
was proceeding to execution he ftBked the king to f^nt him a
favour for the last time and to send for the princess so that she
should be present. The king gave the desired permisfdon, and
the princess was present, when he said to her> " Is it true to
say that the princess went out at midnight ? " " It is not true,"
replied the princess. " Is it true to say," again asked the soldier,
**that ^e princess entered a carriage, and afterwards went on
board a vessel and proceeded to a ball given in the kingdom of
the giants? " The princess replied, " It is not true." The soldier
yet asked her another question, " Is it true that the princess tore
Beven pair of slippers during the seven times she danced ?" and
then be showed ber the slippers. " There is no truth in all Uiis,''
replied the princess. The soldier at last said to her, " Is it tme
to Bay that the princess at the end of the ball fell on the floor
from her seat, and the giants had a book brought to them to soe
what bewitchery and magic pervaded and had taken possessioii
of the house, and which book is here?*' The princess now
said, " It is so." The king was delighted at the discovery and
happy ending of this affair, and the soldier came to live in the
palace and married the princess.
XXII.— The Maiden fhom whobe Head Peaels fell on
COHBINa HEBSELF.
There lived once a woman who had a son and a daughtar.
The Bon was a sailor. One day the mother, feeling very ill, and
at death's door, called her daughter to bet and said, " There, I
give you this towel and comb; never use another towel but this
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THE MAIDEN FROM WHOSE HEAD PBABIS PELL, ETC. 91
one to Wipe yourself with, or other comb to emooth yoat hair
with." After saying this she died. After her mother's death,
the girl always complied with the injunction of her mother.
Whenever she used the comb many seed pearls and large-sized
ones fell from her head ; and when she wiped herself with the
towel the same thing happened always. The maiden related this
to her brother, and he advised her to keep all the pearls that
fell and string them up in bunches. The maiden then formed
six hunches with the pearls she had, and the brother told her he
would take and sell them to some king next voyage he should
make. And so it happened that after a time he embarked, and
on reaching a certain country he went to the palace to ofier the
MX bunches of pearls for sale to the king. A servant appeared
and offered to take them and slow them to his majesty, but the
B^or refused to allow him to do so, saying that he must himself
present them to the king in person, in order to settle about the
price. He entered the king's apartment, and his majesty found
the pearls to be very precious and rare, and paid him a large
sum for them, asking him where he had been to discover such a
valuable article. The young man told his majesty everything,
relating how his mother, when she was dying, gave his sister a
towel and a comb, and that every time she combed herself or
used the towel, many large pearls and a number of seed pearls
fell from her head. The king said that he must bring his sister
and present her to him, together with the towel and comb; and
that if what he said was true, he would marry his sister; if it
was all false, he should die.
The young siulor returned home happy and delighted, and
gave his sister an account of what had occurred. The sister, very
pleased at the result of his interwiew with the king, resolved to
take the towel and the comb with her, and accompany her
brother to the said country to marry the king. Before her de-
parture she informed a neighbour of hers that she was going to
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92 FOUTUGDESli FOLK-TALES.
be a queen. The neighbour asked her to do her a good turn,
seeing that she was now going to be bo rich ^d noble, and to
allow her and daughter to go in her company.
The day arrived for the departure, and they all embarked ;
the maiden and brother, the neighbour and the daughter. When
they were sailing far at sea the neighbour gave the maiden a
drink to poison her. As the maiden became very ill, the brother,
anxious for her safety, every day came to inquire how she was
getting on. One day the neighbour gave her such a quantity of
poison in the beverage that the maiden remained like one dead.
The brother, believing that she was dead, had her corpse, with
much grief, thrown into the sea, as was the custom. After that
he began to lament, saying that he was very wretched and un-
fortunate now, as in his sister were centi'ed his only hopes of
advancing in life. The wily neighbour, hearing this, advised
him to pass off her daughter as his sister to the king, and take
her to the palace to present her. The brother replied, that the
difficulty did not consist in that, but that he feared the towel
and comb would not act with her as with his sister. They tested
the girl, but no pearls or anything else ever fell when she made
use of them. The neighbour then said that it was not to be
expected that they would work there, but the moment they were
in presence of the king the towel and comb would without a
doubt work the miracle. They reached the said land, and they
all three directed their steps to the palace. The young sailor
presented hb neighbour's daughter, the towel, and the comb to
the king, saying she was his sister. The king ordered her at
once to use the towel, but nothing fell. She combed herselt
with the comb, but instead of pearls, scurf fell from her head.
The king being very angry, said to the sailor, " Then, you have
deceived me. Kow you must go to prison, and afterwards you
shall be put to death." Just at this interval, a servant who had
gone to the beach with his net to catch a fish for his majesty's
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THE UAIDEN FROM WHOBE BEAD PEARLS FFLL, ETC. 93
Bcrvice, on reaching the eea, eaw a large whale which had been
thrown on the beach and was dead. But inradc the fish he saw
something move, and heard a voice that said, " Take me out of
this, take me out of this," The servant fetched a knife, and
very carefully cut the akin of the whale, and he then saw the
head of a maiden, and he continued to rip up the fish, greatly
astonished at what he saw, and at last extricated alive the maiden
from the belly of the great fish. He took her with him, but
told her she must for the present remain shut up in a room of the
palace, and let no one know that she was there.. The maiden
told him her history, and all that had happened to her during the
voyage, and how she had been in the depth of the sea, and a
whale had saved her. The servant, on his part, related to her
what her neighbour had been at in the palace, presenting her
daughter under false colours to the king, and all that followed ; and
he informed her that her brother was on her account imprisoned
and sentenced to die. On reaching the palace the maiden was
locked up in an apartment. She looked out of her window every
day towards the prison door where her brother was detained,
and on one occasion as she did so she saw a little bitch belonging
to herself and her brother, and calling out to her pet she spoke
to it thus: " Cylindra, tell me how my brother is to-day? " The
bitch replied: " He is daily expecting to be sent to execution;
and today is the first day the town crier publishes it." The
next day the maiden again looked out of the window, and again
asked her bitch: " Cylindra, tell me how my brother is to-day?"
The bitch replied: " To-day the crier publishes his sentence of
death for the second time I " But the servant who had delivered
the maiden, on hearing this, went up to the king and revealed
the whole plot against the maiden. The king, on hearing it,
said: *' If what you say be true, call me to-morrow when the
maiden speaks to the dog, for I wish to listen to what she says."
Kext day, at the right time, the king stood close to the
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94 POBTnOUEBE FOLK-TALES.
window of his chamber to observe and listen to the maiden. He
heard her say: '* Cylindra, how is my brother to^y?" The
bitch replied: *' To-day the execution is published for the last
time I " When the king heard this, he ordered that the brother
and sister should be brought before him into his presence; and
on sedng the maiden he told her to wipe her face with the towel,
and instantly that she did so showers of seed pearls began to Stll
&om her head. He ordered her to comb herself with the wonder-
ful comb, and immediately large and rare pearls fell in profusion
of the same class as the ones in the bunches. The king then
commanded the wily neighbour and daughter to be put to death,
and he married the maiden. And the brother had the great
honour to be brother-in>law to the bdug.
XXIII. — The Thbeb Princes and the Maiden.
There was once three princes who were great friends. One
day, as they walked out together, they saw a beautiful maiden
looking out of a window, and they were all three, unknown to
each other, struck and charmed with her loveliness ; and one of
them sought an occasion when he could go alone to ask her to
name the hour when he should come to speak to her. The
maiden told him to come at ten in the evening. The second
prince came and begged of her the same favour, and she ap-
pointed him to come at eleven in the evening. The third prince
also came and asked the same question and favour, and the
maiden said that she would expect him at midnight.
At ten o'clock in the evening the first prince came to see her;
at eleven the second prince arrived ; and at midnight also came
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THE THREE FBIN0E8 AND THE MAIDEN, 95
the third prince, and there he found the other two. " You are
willing to Bpeak to all three because you do not care for any."
The RiEtiden replied to him that she liked all three much. One
of the princes then Baid that she could only marry one, and,
therefore, that she should Bay which she would choose. The
maiden again assured them that she did not make an exception,
and that all three pleased her much. As the three princes were
on the eve of undertaking a long journey, she at last decnded
^t on their return they should all three bring her a keepsake,
and that the one who should bring her the present she liked best,
that one would she marry. They all three took leave of her,
promising to bring the presents agreed upon. And when they
had travelled for some distance came to a cross road, where they
decided to part company, and at the end of their journey to meet
again at the same spot. After this they each went their way.
One of them arrived at a country where he saw many people
going into a joiner's shop. He was much surprised at it, and be
also wopt to see what was going on. He found that the excite-
ment was created by no less a thing than a most marvellous
lookin^-glasB; that the moment it was told, " Looking-glass, I
wish to see this or that person," they would immediately appear
reflected upon it. The prince bought it at once, and, delighted
at the discovery, said: " Kow I have found, indeed, an excellent
present to take to my sweetheart ! " The second prince reached
another country where he saw many persons meet to buy a
candle. He asked why they were all so anxious to purchase such
an indifierent article as a candle, and of so little value; but they
iuformed him that the candle had a particular myBterioua pro-
perty, so tbat if any person was dead, and the candle was put in
tlie dead person's hands, he would immediately come to life again.
The moment the prince heard this he lost no time in buying it,
and, much pleased, he sfud : " I have now found a valuable
present for my lady-love." The third prince saw in another
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96 PORTUGUESE FOLK-TALES.
couDtty a man who was selling wool rugs. This man asked a
great sum for one in particular. The prince inquired the reason
why he asked so much more money for one rug than he did for
the others. The man replied that the particular rug had a dis-
tinct peculiarity from the others, which was, that if any one
wished to undertake a journey he had only to open it out on the
ground, stand upon it, and say to it: *' Oh I rug, take me to such
a country in an instant." The moment the prince knew of thh,
he bought it, and, in great glee at finding such a treasure, said,
" Kow, indeed, I have a present worthy to present to my sweet-
heart."
When the three princes met at the appointed road, they showed
each other the presents which they had bought. The one of the
looking-glass said to the other two friends : " I order the looking-
glass to show me my lady-love." And as he said so they looked
into the glass, and there saw the dead form of the maiden. The
prince who had bought the candle said : '* Oh I that we could
place this candle in her dead hands, that so she may come to
life ! " The prince with the rug then added, laying open the rug
on the ground : " Rug, take us all three in an instant to where
she is ! " In a moment the three princes found themselves by the
side of the dead maiden. They placed the candle in her hands,
and she instantly rose once more to life. They were all exceed-
ingly delighted at the result, yet now each put forth his claims
for the maiden. The prince to whom the candle belonged said,
that if it not been for it she would never have risen again. The
one who held the looking-glass urged that had he not seen her
in the looking-glass they would never have known that she was
dead. Whilst the prince who had the rug said, that had it not
been for his rug they would not have found themselves there so
quickly; and, compared to his rug, the other presents weie use-
less. The maiden now came forward and said: "As you all
three have a right to many me, and as I cannot have three
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Tn£ MAIDEN AND THE FISH. 97
huBbands at one time, I shall not marry any of you I " The maiden
shut herself up in a tower; and the three princes, much dis-
appointed and grieved, also retired into a dismal tower.
XXIV. — The Maiden and the Fibh.
Once there was a widower who had three daughters. The two
eldest thought of nothing hut dress and finery, and going to
amusements, or sitting at the window doing nothing; whilst the
youngest occupied herself with the household management, and
was fond of aaeistlng the servant in the kitchen, and for which
reason her siaters called her the " Henrth-Cat.'' One day the
father caught a fish and brought it home alive, and as the
youngest daughter was the one who occupied herself in cooking,
and was besides his favourite child, he gave her the fish to
prepare for their supper. As the fish was alive, and she took a
great liking to it on account of its pretty yellow colour, she
placed it in a large pan with water, and begged her &tber to
allow her to keep it for herself, and not kill it. As soon as the
father consented to her keeping it, she at once took it to her own
room and gave it plenty of water to swim in; and when the
usters saw what had been done with the fish they began to cry
out and complain that, for the sake of pleaung the " Hearth-
Cat," they were to be deprived of eating that excellent fish.
At night, when the little maiden had already laid herself down
to sleep, the fish began to say to her, " Oh ! maiden, throw ne
into Uie well 1 Oh ! maiden, throw me into the well I" The fish
repeated this so often and bo imploringly that at length she rose
and threw the fish into the well. The following day she
took a walk in tiie garden to try and see the fish, as she quite
yearned to have a look at it once more; and as she drew close to
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98 FOBTUQUEBB FOLK-TALES.
the well she heard a voice innde which aaid: "Oh! maiden,
come into the well ! Oh ! muden, come into the welll" She
nu) away with fear ; bat on the following day, when the raBtere
were gone to the festival, the maiden again approached the border
of the well, and she heard once more the same voice catting for
her, and, impelled by it, she went into the well; and ehe had
hardly reached the bottom when the fish appeared to her, and,
la3ring hold of her hand, he conducted her to a palace of gold and
preciouB stones, and said to her: "Go into that chamber and
attire yonreelf in the best and most elegant robe you find there,
and put on a ptur of gold slippers which are ready for yon, as you
will see, for I mean you to go to the same festival as your sisters
are gone to. You will proceed to it in a splendid state carriage
which you will find ready for yon at the dooi when you leave
this palace. At the conclusion of the festival be care&l to take
your departure before your sisters do, and return here to take oS
your robes, for I promise you that a time is in store for you when
you will be very happy indeed." When the maiden had put on
garments worked in gold and precious stones of very great value,
she came out of the well, and on reaching the palace door she
found a splendid carriage ready for her. She stepped in and
proceeded to the festival. When she entered the edifice every
one there was in admiration, and wondered fi^m whence had
come such a lovely, comely maiden with such rich robes. She
left the edifice without loss of time the very mom^it that the
festival was concluded; but in her hurry to get out she lost one
of her slippers, and the king, who was following close behind her,
picked it up, and ordered an edict to be issued that he would
marry the maiden to whom that slipper belonged. When ehe
reached home she went into the well at once to take ofif her rich
garments, and when she led the enchanted palace the fish told
her to return in the evening, for he wished to ask her something.
The mtuden promised to comply with his wish, and departed.
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THE MAIDSN AND THE FISH. 99
Wben her Bisters returned home she was seen busy in the kitchen ,
and they gave her a glowing account of the beautiful lady they
had seen at the feaiit, who had on such rich robes full of gold
omamentfl and precIouB stones such as they had never seen before
in their Uvea, and bow this &ir and lovely maiden had dropped
one of her dainty slippers in her hurry to leave the edifice, which
the king had picked up, and now signified his intention of mar-
rying the maiden to whom it belonged. They told her that such
hciag the state of affairs, they would go to the palace to try the
slipper, and were certain that it would fit one of them, who
would then be made a queen 1 and then would she give the
" Hearth-Cat" a new dress. The moment the sisters left for the
palace the maiden went to the well to see the fish, who said to
her the moment he saw her, " Oh, maiden I will you marry me?"
The maiden replied, "I cannot, possibly marry a fish I" but he
so entreated her, and urged his suit so ardently, that she at last
coiuented. That very instant the fish was transformed into a
man, who said to her, " Know, then, that I am a prince who was
enchanted here, and am the son of the sovereign who governs
these realms. I know that my father has published an edict,
ordering all the maidens of his kingdom to reptur to the palace
and try on the slipper which you dropped to-day on coming away
from the feast; go, therefore, there yourself, and when the king
tells you that you must marry him, inform him that you are
already engaged to the prince, his son, who was enchanted, for
his majesty will then send for me on hearing this." The maiden
left the well, and shortly after her sisters returned fi:om the palace
looking very downcast and disappointed because the slipper afler
all did not fit them. The muden then hinted to them that she
also thought of repiuring to the palace, to try on the slipper in
case it should fit her. The sisters indignantly said : " Just see
what airs the ' Hear(h-Gat' is putting on, and is not ashamed of
herself. Go, and show your tiny, dcunty foot ! go." The maiden
h2
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100 POBTDQDEBE FOLK-TALES.
went to tlie palace, nevertheless ; and the sentinels, seeing her so
shabbily dressed, would not let hex pass ; but the king, who just
happened to be at the window, ordered them to let hor enter.
He had hardly given her the tiny slipper to try on when hia
majesty remained struck with wonder to see how soon she drew
it on, and how beautifiilly the slipper fitted her, and he that
moment told her that he would make her his queen. The maiden,
however, very respectfully signified to him that it could not be,
as she was already engaged to be the bride of his majesty's son,
the prince who had been spell-bound so long. The king, on
hearing her, could scarcely contain his delight to think that he
would soon see his son again, disenchanted as he was now. He
immediately sent a retinue of the grandees of the realm to bring
his son out of the well, and he married him to the beautiful
maiden. There were great rejoicings and much feasting in
honour of the occasion ; and the Eosters of the " Hearth-Cat,"
filled with jealousy and bitterness at the sudden turn of affairs,
were punished, and commenced to throw all manner of filth out
of their mouths. The "Heorth-Uat" remained in the palac« the
bride of the prince, who afterwards succeeded to the throne, and
became king.
XXV.— Thk Slices op Fish.
I'here lived a man in a certain country who was a fisherman,
nnd as he went fishing on one occasion he caught a beautiful
fish. The poor fish finding itself caught and on dry laud be^ed
the fisherman to throw it back again into the sea, promising the
man if he did so he would have a great catch of fish next time
he went fishing. The fish added, however, that should the
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THE BLICBS OF FISH. lOI
man succeed ia securing it once more, he was then at liberty to
keep it. The fisherman did so that day, and he took such a
large haul of fish that he did not know what he should do with
all the fish he had caught in his net. Several days after this the
fisherman again let down his nets at the same place, and again
caught the beautiful fish. The fish then said to the man: " Take
me to your house and cut me into twelve slices, and three slices
yoa will give your wife, three to your mare, three to your hitch,
and the remaining three you must bury in your garden." The
fisherman did as he was told, and when another year had passed
his wife gave birth to three boys, the mare had three colts, the
bitch three lions; and in the garden three lances had risen up.
When these boys grew up to manhood they asked their father to
give them each a horse, a lion, and a lance, for they wished to
go travelling. The father and mother, much against their in-
clination, gave them leave to go, and the hoys lefl home and
proceeded all three along a road until they came to a part of the
highway where three roads met. They separated, each taking a
different road; the eldest brother went to the lefl, the second to
the right, and the youngest took the middle road. But before
parting they agreed to meet in that same spot in a year's time,
and then each went his own way. The eldest brother afl^er
journeying for many days without arriving at any country, at
last came to one where there was a very high tower. He re-
mained at a house, where at the end of a week he married the
owner of it; and when he was already married he asked his wife
what tower that might be, and she informed him that it was the
" Tower of Death," for whosoever went into it never returned
alive. But the young man said : " Well, I shall go there, and I
shall return." At night when he lay down to sleep he placed his
lance between Himself and his wife on the bed, and on the follow-
ing day he went straight to the tower with his lion. He knocked
at the gate and an old woman appeared, who asked him what he
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102 POBTDGUEBE FOLK-TALEB.
wanted, and he replied that he wi^edto see the tower. The <M
woman said that if he wished to inspect it he must first have a
wreetliog match with her, to which the young man agreed, and
the woman asked him to fasten the lion with one of hei hairs, as
she wae very much frightened of those animals. The youug man
said he would, and the old hag gave him one of her haira, with
which he secured the lion, after which he commenced to wrestle,
until the youth finding that he was nearly overcome by the hag
cried out to his lion: " Advance, my lion, to my asfflstance.I "
And the old hag quickly said: "Be thickened, oh, my hair I"
And as she repeated these words, the hur which kept the lion
secure became a thick heavy chain. The old hag overcame the
youth, and when she had him on the ground cut his head off and
threw it into a subterranean cave and then entered the tower
again.
AiWi a year the two brothers met again at the spot agreed
upon, and as the eldest brother had not arrived they waited for
him some days, until finding that he did not come they went
home, believing that he would meet them there ; but as they
did not find him with their parents, the second brother asked to
be allowed to go in search of him. The father gave hlra the
de^red permission, and he started, following the same road as his
eldest brother had taken. After travelling a few days he arrived
in the same country and city, and he went to live in the same
house, and married hb brother's widow. And afrer the marriage
he asked her if she could tell him positively if a man like him,
having the same kind of horse and lion, and carrying a lance,
had passed that way. The woman replied that a man had
arrived about a year ago who had married her, and that next day
he had gone to the "Tower of Death," that whoever went in
it never returned, and that having gone he had never come
back, as had already happened to many men like him. The
young man then said, as others before him, " Well, I shall go,
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TUB SLICES OF FISH. 103
and I mean to retam." At night he also placed the Unoe
between himBelf and wife on lying down, and next day, early in
the morning, he departed with bis lion to the " Tower of Death."
When he had knocked at the gate the same old woman ap-
peared who had killed his brother, and she also wrestled with
him, after making him first secure the lion with one of her haira.
When he found himself hard pressed he called out for his lion,
saying, " Come to my help quickly, my lion !" but the old bag
rejoined instantly, " Thicken, oh, my hah ?' and knocking the
boy down to the ground she cut his bead oflE and threw it in the
same cave underground where bis eldest brother's body had been
cast, and she went into the tower again,
A whole year had passed, and the youngest brother, finding that
his elder brothers did not return, asked bis father leave to go in
search of them. The father replied, " Then you wish, my son, to
leave me and remw) away, dead or alive, as your brothers have
done before you!" but the boy replied, " Let me go, fittiier, and
I promise you that I shall come back to you in a year's time with
my two brothers, and bring much wealth with me I " The&thei
consented, and he took the same road as the other two brothers ;
and be arrived at the said tower. He married the same woman
that his brothers bad, and he asked her if she would give him
any information respecting the two men who must have passed
that same way—one two years ago, and the other one year since.
She replied that they had passed that way, and both had married
her, and that on the following day each had in turn proceeded
to the " Tower of Death," that who goes into it never returns
alive, and thus had tbey remained there! When the youth
beard this, be said resolutely, " Well, I also shall go, and I
know that I shall surely return I" And having gone to rest
that night with bis lance lying on his tied ready by his side, he
early next morning went on bis way to the " Tower of Death,'*
accompanied and protected by bis lion. On arriving he knocked
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104 FO&TUOOESB FOLK-TALES.
at the gate of the tower, and the old hag opened it for him. He
said (hat he wiahed to see the tower, and she replied that he
might enter, but he must first of all have a wrestling match with
her. The youth consented to it, and the hag then asked lum to
secure the lion with one of her hairs first of all, as she had great
fear of that race of beasts. The youth premised to do so, but
instead of fastening the lion he threw the haii away over a
wall, and when he found himself nearly overcome by the old
hag, he called out for his lion saying, " Advance and come to
my aid, oh lion 1" while she instantly replied : " Be thickened,
ob, my hair 1" But as the lion was not tied up it sprang upon
the old hag and laid her flat and helpless on the ground. The
boy, perceiving that she lay powerless on the ground, was about
to cut her head off, when she entreated him to spare her, for she
would give up to him his two brothers, and would besides allow
him to inspect the tower. The boy desisted from killing her,
but left her pinned down by the lion whilst he went over the
tower; and there he found three princesses who were enchanted
in it. He brought them down, and, having done that, he com-
manded the hag to show him where his brothers were detained.
The old woman liCled up the trapdoor and told him to go down
the cave till he reached the bottom, and he would there find
them. But the boy would not go alone and made her descend
before him. When they reached the bottom he saw many dead
bodies in heaps, the trunks on one side and the heads on another.
When he saw that ghastly spectacle he said to the old hag,
" How can you possibly give me back my brothers alive if their
heads are cut off?" She answered him: " Go to the cupboard
and bring a bowl you will find there full of ointment, rub their
necks with it, and join the heads to the necks and they will )>e
immediately cured ; but I must make it a condition that you
only anoint your dead brothers." The youth, however, insisted
upon including all the bodies which were there; but as the old
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THE FBINCE WHO UAD THE HEAD OF A HOBSE. 105
eilly hag would not consent to it the hay killed her. He then
went for the ointment and anointed the bodies and necks of all,
and they rose up, and they went each to their respecUve
countries. The youth and his brothers married the princesses
they had found there, and proceeded each to their realms, not
forgetting to take to their &ther and mother much wealth.
XXVI. — The Prince who had the head op a Horse.
There once lived a king and a queen who had been married
many years, but had not any children. This waa a great source
of sorrow to them. The queen, however, took it to heart more
than the king did, and one day, when she felt more sad and
unhappy than usual, she prayed God to give her a son, even if
he were born with the head of a horse. The first time that she
went to the garden after this she met an exceedingly old woman,
who SEud to her, " I know that you are sad and in trouble
because you are childless, but I foretell you that you will in nine
months' time bear a son; but how much better it would have
been for you not to have such a son ! because, instead of having
a man's head, he will be born with the head of a horse." The
queen was very sorry to hear this, but at the same time could
not help rejoicing at the prospect of having a son bom to her.
Accordingly before long the queen felt she was with child, and
in due time gave birth to a prince with the head of a horse. As
the prince grew up those around him after a time became quite
accustomed to the unusual appearance of his head, and even
forgot that it waa that of a horse. Having arrived at an age
when his &ther thought it time to look out for a wife for him,
he sent his portrait to all the cities in hopes that some princess
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106 FORTU60£8E FOLK-TAIAB.
might desire to many him. But there was not one ait^le
princess who would entertain the idea, and all of them, when
they saw his portrait, used to exclaim, " What, I many a prince
who lias the head of a horse? A(Wr a time we should have
children who would be altogether horses I" The prince was very
unhappy, seeing that he could not succeed in getting a wife, but
those near him told him, to console him, not to despair for he
would be certain to find one. The king after a time resolved to
make a proclamation with sound of trumpet that any maiden,
rich or poor, who should be willing to marry the prince would
receive a good dowry, a handsome trousseau, and the jewels
appertaining to a princess. Still no maiden came forward to
offer herself ; until at last, after much trouble, and when they
had almost lost all hopes of finding one, a very poor fprl, with
very shabby clothes on, oSfered herself, who on account of her
extreme poverty was willing to marry the prince. This maiden
had three sisters who, the moment they knew their coster's in-
tention, began to abuse her, and even to beat her, saying to her,
" You have no shame in you. We are older than you are and
are very poor, but we would not deign to marry a prince who
had the head of a horse 1" The maiden, however, paid no
attention to their abuse and allowed them to say all they liked,
and insisted upon marrying the prince. The maiden had hardly
made up her mind to marry the prince when there appeared to
her robes and everything necessary for a princes to wear ; and
at the same time a proclamation was issued in the capital de-
claring the approaching marriage of the prince in three days'
time, that great rejoicings would take place and many festivities
before the day, among which there would be held some races.
The prince went each day to visit the maiden, and on the last
day, when the cavalcade was passing the house, behind them all
there came a very handsome knight, who rode most magnifi-
cently. When the whole suite had passed by, while the maiden's
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THB FBINCE WHO HAD THE HEAD OF A H0B8E. 107
aisters were looking out, one aaJd to the other, " If our sifltei
were st least to marry that handsome knight, who does nothing
but look towards us I" And they commenced to abnse and beat
her, saying, " You are going to marry a prince with the head of
a horse merely to become a princess." The girl at last, being
afraid of worse treatment at their hands, said to them, " Do not
abuse me or beat me any more, for that knight who was going
behind that retinue, and looked towards us, is the prince who I
shall marry." At that instant a crow came in at the window
and began to flap and beat the girl with its wings, saying,
*' You ungrateful girl I most ungrateful ! You have broken my
spell ! and if you wish to find me again you will have to wear a
pair of iron shoes on your way to the Crows' Tower ; you will
have to enter and wait a long time for an opportunity to lay
hold of my wings, for only then shall I again be yours and you
mine; and should you not have sufficient courage to undertake
this task, and sufficient perseverance and patience to wait for
your opportunity to catch me, you will never see me again I"
Having said these words the crow flew out of the window,
taking the same direction as when it came. The girl remained
very much grieved and b^^n to cry, saying, "T am now
wretched and unhappy on account of my sisters I" She then
ordered a pair of iron boots to be made, and when she received
them she put them on at once and begun her journey without
taking leave of any one. She walked and walked and walked
all day, and at night&U she saw a hut and approached
it The door was closed and she could see no one, but
taking courage she knocked at the door. She heard the voice of
an old woman reply, "Who is there?" The girl answered,
" A poor helpless creature who begs for shelter to-night ! " The
old woman opened the door to her and listened to what the girl
had to say in explanation to her, that she had lost her way and
entreated her to afford her shelter for the night. The good old
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108 P0BTUQDE8E FOLK-TALES.
woman then Baid to her, " My boq lives here with me who is the
south wind, but I do not know what my son will do to you if he
sees you." The girl to this replied : " Never mind, I must have
patience, and if he kilb me why there will be an end of me and
that is all I " The old woman felt pity for the girl and said,
" Get inside this wooden cheat." The girl went inside and the
woman bstened down the cover after the girl had told her the
whole history of her life, and who begged the woman to ask her
son the way to the " Crows' Tower; " and the old woman
promised to find out for her where the towei was. The wooden
chest was hardly closed upon her when a great noise of wind
was heard, and the door moved as though great force was used
to break it open. The woman opened the door and the south
wind came in whistling solUy vuuun .... vuuu .... vuuuu ....
saying, "I smell human flesh I" The old woman nijoined:
" My son be calm, there is no such thing here." As soon as the
wind became lulled and quieted she informed him of what had
occurred, and asked him whether ho knew where the '' Crows'
Tower " was situated. The son replied : " I do not know where
it is, but the north wind is sure to know," and he showed the
girl where it was to be found, and said that since she had iron
boots the only way to destroy them was by wetting them over, as
otherwise she might walk for years and years Euid yet would
never succeed in tearing them. After this the wind went to lie
down, and at day dawn rose up and left the hut. He liad
hardly gone out when the old woman opened the chest and told
the girl of all her son had said, and the information he had
^ven for her guidance, and then she dismissed her. The girl
thanked the old lady very much for her kindness to her, and set
out on her expedition, remembering to wet the boots occasionally.
She walked and walked and walked, and at nightfall she again
saw another hut, and she resolved to knock at the door. She
saw an old woman come to open to her, who told her that her
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THE PBINCE WHO HAD THE HEAD OF A HORSE. 109
son waa the north wind. The girl aaked to be allowed to remain
there for the night, and begged she woiild ask her son where the
" CrowB* Tower " was situated, because she had been told that
the north wind would know where it was. Shortly after this
the north wind came in by the door, blowing strongly as it
whistled vuuuu .... vuuuu .... and crying out with a
shrill voice, "Mother I ameil human blood." The mother
replied, " Be calm, my son, it is nothing whatever." And
she then told him of all that had passed since he had left
home, and she asked him to inform the girl she had there
where the " Crows' Tower " was situated as she wished to go to it.
He replied, and told his mother that she must tell the girl that
the north-east wind was sure to know, and that he himself was
ignorant of its whereabouts. The wind departed, and the woman,
uncovering the woodon chest, gave the girl all the information
she had received from her son, and the injunction that she was
not to forget to wet her boots over continually. She set out on
her expedition at once, was mindful to wet iicr boots, and con-
tinually examined them to see if they were getting worn out;
and at first she was much distressed because the boots did not
seem to wear out, but afler a while she was happier, for she saw
them getting rusty. She walked all day, and only as night ap-
proached did she find another hut. She also knocked at the
door of this hut, and an old woman appeared, who made the
girl the same speech as the other had done. The girl entreated
her to allow her to go in for the night, as she had nowhere to
go, and begged the old woman kindly to ask her son, where the
'* Crows' Tower " was situated, and the way to reach it, as she
had been informed that the north-east wind was the only wind
that could toll her. The woman shut her up in the chest, and
very soon after the north-east wind came in whistling ; hoom
boom hoom " Oh ! mother, I smell
human flesh." " Oh no, my son, you make a mistake," was the
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no FOBTDSDESE POLK^ALBB.
mother's reply; aod she told him to be quieted, for it was only
a poor girl who wished to know the way to the " Crows' Tower."
The north-east wind said he knew wbete it was, but that it lay
very far indeed, and that the girl would have to walk for three
nights and three days without resting to get there. He fiirther
told hiii mother that she must explain to the girl that when she
reached the tower she would not be able to enter as there were
s number of crows who would prevent her, because inside the
tower Uiere lived a prince who was spelUboond, and knew that
the girl was seeking for him. That if she wished to find him
she was to wait until the crows were all inside the tower, so that
they should not peck at her and hurt her— that the largest crow
among them was the prince himself; to get as close as posdble
to him and put her hands on his wings suddenly and not to
leave go on any account; for if she lost him this time die would
never find him again. After saying all this the north-east wind
blew himself out of the hut. The girl began her journey, and
for three days and three nights she walked without ever resting.
The boots were already torn in several parts, and on the third
day she could scarcely walk with them, as the sharp points
pierced her feet. She at last reached the "Crows' Tower," and
waited for an opportunity to enter. She gradually approached,
keeping as close as she could to the largest crow, and at a moment
when he was engaged in ranging, and his mind was diverted fiom
her, she suddenly and dexterously put both her hands upon the
bird, holding its wings down, saying, " You are caught ; you
are now mine." The crow did its best to fly away, but remark-
ing before long that it was his own maiden that held him, and
had caught him, he transformed himself into a prince, without
further resistance, the crows into noblemen and courtiers, and
the tower into the court. The prince married the maiden, and
the sisters, as a punishment, were imprisoned.
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XXVII.— The Spideb.
There lived once a boy whose (ather and mother were desirouB
that he should learn some trade. He had no wish to do so, but,
as his parents insisted upon it, he undertook to learn the trade of
a shoemaker. But as soon as the father died he desisted from
work and gave up making shoes. The mother was very angry
with him for this and turned him out of doors. The boy told
his mother that he would be sure to return home a rich man
some day, and that he meant to marry the first female he met on
his way. He took a basket with all his shoemaker's tools and
went away. He journeyed many leagues through some forest
and overgrown places, and meeting with a large square stone on
his way he sat upon it, took out a loaf &om his basket, nnd
began to eat. From under the stone a large spider came out,
and the boy had hardly seen her when he said to her, " Tou shall
be my wife." The spider upon hearing this crawled inside the
basket, but the boy made a hole in the loaf he carried and put
her in it. He walked and he walked, and he sighted at a great
distance an old [house. He entered it, placed the basket on the
floor, and the spider came out of it and went crawling up the
walls until Bhe reached the ceiling, and commenced to make a
web. The boy turned towards her and looking np said, " That
is the way I like to see women, fond of work." The spider
made no answer. The hoy then went seeking for work at a
neighbouring village. As it happened that in that village there
were no shoemakers he was welcomed among them, and they
gave him plenty of work to do. As the youth found that he was
making a fortune be engaged a servant-maid to attend upon his
wife, and brought her to the old house where the spider had re-
mained. He furnished the house and bought a little cUy stove
and some plates and dishes for the dinner. He then went out
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1 12 FORTnOUESB FOLK-TALES.
and left the seivanc with the spider. The maid remained much
astonished, and wondered still more when the spider told her to
open a certain door which led to the fowl-hoose and kill achicken,
and afterwards to open a cupboard where she would find everything
necesear; for cooking and for the general use of the house. When
the youth returned home he found the house swept and a dinner
prepared of the best and most delicious viands. Being very
pleased, he turned round to the spider and sud, " See what a
good choice I have made in my wife I" The spider from the
ceiling threw down all manner of embroidered stu^ which she
had worked for beautir3ring her house : and after they had Uved
in this way a whole year, and the youth had already become very
rich, and no longer required to work at his trade, for eveiything
he required in the way of clothing and food and everything else
necessary for life always made its appearance without his know-
ing how, he resolved to return to his mother's house as he had
promised her he would do at the end of a year. He ordered two
horses to be saddled and got ready, and said to his servant,
'* You shall now act as my wife, because I am going to tell my
mother that I am married." The maid was delighted at this
and mounted the horse prepared for her and went with the
youth. The spider came down from the ceiling and went to the
fowl-house where she only found a cock left. She got inside it,
and thus went walking behind the two on horseback. On reach-
ing the forest they entered it, and both sat on the some stone,
&om under which the spider had come out before. Tht^ were
looking on the ground when they saw the cock and heard it
crow:
" Ki kiri ki,
Eikirikiohl
Here is the king,
And I am tlie qneen ohi"
At that moment the stone broke open in two parts, and
became transformed into a splendid palace. The spider was turned
..Google
THE LITTLE TICK. 113
into a beautiful prinoeaa and married the youth, who became
king and she a queen. They then sent for the mother; while
the serrant-maid continued with them as lady in waiting.
XXVIII.— The Little Tick.
There were once two brothers and a sister who lived together,
and, being poor people, the brothers one day apprised theii
sister that they intended going to travel to try and seek fortune.
The sister requested them to return in a year's time to see her.
They journeyed on through a straight and long road, and they
came to a spiot where there were two narrow paths. They took
leave of one another and separated, saying that in a year's
time they would meet in that same place, and they took each a
different turning. The eldest went to a farm where he engaged
himself as labourer. The youngest brother travelled until he
sighted a very old palace, and, as he had nowhere to go to for
the night, he entered it and found that it was a most beautiful
place inside although it was deserted. He wished to sup and
instantly a table on which was laid an excellent supper made
its appeamnce. After supper a good bed appeared for him to
take his rest. When he fell asleep he was suddenly awakened
by feeling something coming in contact with him on the bed,
which felt very cold and clammy. The first night he was much -
frightened by this, but he soon became accustomed to the sensa-
tion, and lost all fear ; and every night that same object came
into his bed and held a long conversation with him. When a
year had passed, he told the unknown object that he must go
to meet his brother, for them both to return to their own country
^d by Google
114 PORTUOUBSE rOLK-TALES.
u agreed upon. The object told him that he might, and on the
rollowing night presented him with a complete suit of clothes,
tome money, and a horse. The young man departed and
journeyed oil until he reached the place agreed upon to meet his
brother. He found that his brother had his hands rough and
homy froin hard work, whilst his own hands were smooth and
white because he had done no work during the whole of that
year. They wsnt home and their sister was delighted to see
them back again. When they were again leaving home she
gave each of them a pound weight of flax, telling them that
in a year's time they must return bringing it spun. The
brothers took leave of one another and each went hia waj.
When the youngest arrived at the palace, he told the unknown
object that always came into his bed every night, and which
proved to be nothing else but a tick, that his sister had given
him BO much flax which she had ordered him to take spun to
her in a year's tjme. The tick made very light of the work,
and merely remarked that it was a very easy task indeed and he
need not be troubled about doing it so soon. When the year
had nearly expired he asked her for it so as to spin it in Ume
to take it home; and that instant the tick produced the flax
beautifully spun and ready packed to take with him : and she
gave him also another suit of clothes, money, and a horse, and
the youth left the palace to go and meet his brother. The
brother was carrying the flax in his hand very badly spun and
carelessly folded, and it was of a very ugly yellow colour. He
asked his brother — " Where is your flax for I do not see it f
' And great was his surprise when he saw that he carried it in a
little dainty basket. When the two brothers arrived at the
nster's house she was very much surprised to find that one of
her brothers brought his pound of flax very badly and loosely
spun, whilst the other brought it bo well spun and so neatly
packed. On the brothers' departure she gave them each a puppy
i by Google
THE LITTLB TICK. i 15
to take with them and to Wmf^ up. The; took leave of eacb
other for a year, and separated. When the youngest brother
arrived at the paUce the tiuk was much surprised that he should
have brought her a puppy to bring up. She took it out of
sight and he never saw it again until at the end of the appointed
time, when she brought it to him in a little basket very comfort-
ably packed ready to carry home. The brothers met at the
usual rendezvous, and the eldest brother made his appearance
with a very large powerful dog, which followed him. When
tliey reached home the sister was delighted that they brought
back the dogs; and she told them that next time on their return
in a year's time they must each bring a wife, as she wished to
see her sisters-in-law. The eldest brother told her that he was
engaged to be married to his master's daughter ; but the youngest
did not know what to aay about it, as he only knew the tick. They
took leave of each other, and each went his way. The youngest
brother reached the palace, and told the tick what the sister ex-
pected him to do. The tick then asked him if he would like to
marry her; but he replied, " You are so very small." The tick
rejoined that he need not be troubled ahou} that. At the end of
a year the youth felt much ashamed to have to take to wife this
little tick. On the marriage-day the palace appeared in great
splendour, with a number of pages, ladies in waiting, and the
tick transformed into a most beautiful princess dressed as a bride.
The carriages were ready for them, and they proceeded to their
sister's country ; and a state carriage and horses also went in the
procession for his brother and his bride. When the procession
reached the place of meeting the brother was there with a
countrywoman of the Lisbon suburbs, who wore short petticoats.
They entered the carriage, and they all arrived at the sister's
house in much pomp. The two brothers were then married,
and they afterwards returned to the palace of the tick, who was
an enchanted princess; and they all lived very happily together.
^d by Google
P0BTUGUE8E FOLK>TALEa.
XXIX. — Thb Thbbb Littlb Blub Stones.
There wag once a king who wu married, but had taken a
great dislike to bis queen because they had no &niily. The
queen for thia reason was always in great distress of mind, and
oflen prayed to God to give her at least a son. Soon after she
found herself with child, snd when her hour had arrived and ahe
was on the point of being delivered a poor man came to the
f«lace gate begging for alms. The lady in waiting refused to
g^ve him anything, and the beggar said that he knew she refused
him then because the queen was in labour and about to gire
birth to a girl ; but he would foretell her that at the i^ of
fifteen a large bird would come and take the girl away in his
beak. The hidy in wuting went in, but told no one what she
had beard. All the inmates of the palace were rejoicing, and
fondled and caressed the little princess, and kissed her often, but
this lady was the only one who wept when she did so, which
surprised every one, vid they asked her why she wept. The
lady in waiting at first did not with to state her reason, but in
^e end she related what had passed between her and the beggar,
and bow he bad said that, when the little princess should arrive
at tbo age of fifteen, a bird would come and carry her away in
his beak. On hearing this every one in the palace felt much
distressed and grieved. As the princess grew up her chief
amusement was to play with a table placed in the centre of a
garden. A certain prince having arrived at the palace one day
to pay his respects to tbe king, saw the little princess, and was
charmed with her pretty ways, and be gave her as he was going
away three little blue stones as a keepsake and remembrance.
In the course of time the princess attained her fifteenth year, and
the period bad arrived for the accomplishment of the prophesy
^d by Google
THB THBE& LlirrLB BLITB fiTONES. 117
lespeoting her fete. The child never weat out anywhere and
did nothing but play with the little blue Btones ou the table.
One day the king and queen left the palace to travel, and the
child remained alone under the care of the lady ia waiting. She
was amusing herself playing in the garden when a large bird
flew close to her and asked her when would she prefer to go
through and accomplish her destiny, in youth or in old age.
The lady in WMting advised her to say that she would prefer it
in her youth rather than in her old age. The bird then instantly
laid hold of the little princess with his beak and flew away with
her. The bird took her through the air and \eit her alone in
a great and dense forest. When she had been there one night
and a day she began to weep because she felt very hungry and
cold. There was a city nem* this forest to which a certain prince
was in the habit of going once a month to hunt in the neigh-
bourhood. It so happened that on this same day the prince
came to hunt in the forest, and as he was traversing it he heard
what appeared to him suppressed sobbing. He asked his cham-
berlain to accompany him, and went searching until he came
upon the princess. He was delighted to find her, and he put her
upon his hnrse and took her to the palace, and then locked her
up in a room without any one knowing it. But the queen, sus-
pecting the prince because he was always in that room, waited
until one day when the prince had gone out, and opened the
door to see what was there, and found the princess in the cham-
ber. She scolded the prince very much for his conduct when
she saw him, but he begged her not to illtreat the princess.
Keither the queen his mother nor his sister liked the princess in
the least, but she continued to live in the palace. One day she
found herself with child, and gave birth to a boy, just at the
time when the prince had been obliged to take a journey. The
queen took up the child and cut ofi'one of his little fingers, rubbed
the princess's lips with the blood from it, and putting the child in a
^d by Google
118 P0STD0DE8E POLS-Ti^LEa.
basket ordered it to be tbrown into tbe sea. Wben tlie piince
returned tbe queen told bim that tbe princeie bad eaten up the
child. Tbe prince went up close to ber and asked tbua: " Then
you ungrateful girl, you bave bad a boy, aud you bave eaten it
up ? " Tbe answer she gave was to tell bim that she prayed
God to diacover tbe truth. The prince then said to her, that, if
such a thing should happen to her a second time, he would
kill her. After tbe lapse of some time the princess agdn found
herself with child, and when her hour had come the prince aa
before was obliged to go on a journey, and the poor piincesa
gave birth to another boy. The child was hardly bom when
the queen laid bold of it and cut its little finger off and smeared
the princess's lips with the blood from it, and placing the child in
a basket consigned it to the waves. When the prince came
home she told him the same story concerning her child. The
prince went to tbe princesB and said as before, " So you have
again eaten up your child, as I have been told; you are an un-
grateful creature I " But she gave bim no other answer but that
ehe prayed God to discover the truth. Tbe prince said then that
he would forgive her only once more, but if that happened to hei
again he would certainly kill her. Some time elapsed and tbe
princess again found herself with child, and when her hour had
arrived the prince had to take another journey, and the princess
gave birth to another boy. The queen that moment took up
tbe child and cut its little finger off and placed it in a basket and
ordered tbe child to be thrown into the sea. The prince returned
home, and the queen, who had smeared the princess's lips with
the child's blood, told her son that she had demolished her child.
The prince, being exasperated and growing very angry, went up
to the princess, scolded her, and ordered her to be buried up to
her waist in a small courtyard leading to the principal staircase;
and every one that passed her was to beat her.
^d by Google
THE THREE LITTLE BLUE STONES. 119
The princess had already been sometime undergoing her punish-
ment when she heard it said that the prince was starting
for the fair which was to take place at some distance where
he would have to pass her father's house, so she entreated him
to bring her &om the fair a knife, and, as he had to pass by
her father's palace, to go in and ask his majesty to allow her to
have the three blue stones she had left in the drawer of the
table she had in the garden, and to bring them to her. She
begged him not to forget to do this as it was the last thing she
would ask him to do for her. The prince went to the fair and
complied with her request. He arrived at the palace and asked
to see the king, and he began by making up a story saying that
he had heard a voice on the way, and that voice had told him to
come to the palace and take away with him three blue stones
that were in a drawer of a table in the garden. The king on
hearing this recollected that it could only be his daughter that
knew of their existence, and the king, being very pleased to
come across any one who knew of her, asked him how she was,
and told him that since the bird had carried the princess in his
beak the garden had been converted into a wilderness, full of
serpents and wild beasts, and was dangerous for any one to
attempt to enter it. A servant then came up and offered to go
into it and look for the blue stones, provided the king allowed
him to have a large pair of boots, a sword, and a weeding-hook.
And having had permission given to him the servant went in,
cutting down and felling trees and weeding the brambles in his
path; and as he proceeded serpents came in his way which he
killed with his sword; and he was thus able to reach the table,
and brought away the three little blue' stones, which were the
three boys the princess had given birth to. The king then gave
up the stones to the prince, and told him that if in a month's
time he did not bring back his daughter he would put him to
death. The king wanted to accompany the prince, for he had
^d by Google
ISO POBTUQUEBB FOLK-TALES.
a great dente to see hii daughter once more, but tlie prince
pretended that he had to take a journey to a distant part before
returning home, and thia he said because be did not wish the king
to know the disgrace he had put her to. The prbce took leave
of the king and made baste to reach his palace, and the mommt
he arrived he gave the princess the knife and the three little
blue stones. He then hid himself to see what she would do.
The princess placed the three stones before her, and asked tlie
first stone, " Do you lemember, little blue stone, that when I
gave birth to a child the queen cut his little finger off, rubbed
my lips wi& the blood that came &om it, and then told tlie
prince that I had eaten it up, and how she aflerward placed it
in a basket and had it thrown into the sea? " And the stones
then commenced to beat against each other making a noise:
Jlin tin tin, and said that what the princess stated was quite true.
The princess then asked the second little etone if it remembered
what the queen had done to her second child bom to her,
relating all that had passed; and the little stones again com-
menced to beat one against the other, T^^tn tin tin, and said tlist
what the piincesa related was the (ruth. The princess then
once more asked the third blue stone if it recollected the
treatment infiicted on her third child, and how the queen had
drowned it and sud that she had eaten it up ; and the little blue
stones recommenced to beat against each other, TUn tut tin,
and saying that it was perfectly true all that the princess had
stated. When she had finished asking the three questions she
took hold of the knife, saying, " Now I shall put an end to inj
sufierings and cut my head off." When the prince beard her
say this he ran to prevent her killing herself. He instandj
lifted her out of the pit she was in, and took her to his chamber.
He then called up the servant who had thrown the three children
into the sea, and asked him if it was true what the princess said,
and tiie servant owned to the truth of it; and the princ? imme-
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THE HIND OF THE GOLDEN APPLE, 121
diately had him put in prison, and he placed the queen and his
sister in a tower; and when the princess had quite recovered
from the effecte of the illtreatment Bhe had undergone the
prince and the princess each mounted a horse and rode to her
father's house. On arriving at the palace the king and queen
could not contain their delight, and seemed perfectly mad with
ioj to see their long-lost darling daughter again. There were
great rejoicings, and at the end of a fortnight the prince
married the princess. And as the king had no other child
he aeked them to remain in the palace, where they lived very
happily.
XSX. — The Hind op the Golden Apple.
There once lived a woman who had a son, and they were so
poor that the boy went every day for wood to burn in the pine
forest. One day when he was in the forest he saw a hind,
which was very small and most beautiful, come towards him
with a golden apple hanging from its neck. The pretty hind
commenced to speak to the boy to know what he was doing
there, and afier a while she asked him : " Would you like to
come with me to see my lair? If you do I will give you so
much money I" The youth then heard a voice say : " Do not
accept anything from her!" And he therefore replied to the
hind that he did not want anything. The hind again said to
him: " Come to my lair, oh youth, and I will give you much
money, and I can make you very happy indeed !" The voice
again said : " Do not on any account accept anything, but tell
her you would like to have the golden apple that hangs from her
^d by Google
122 PORTUGDEBB FOLK-TALES.
neck." The youth followed the advice given, and said to the
hind, " The only thing I wish to have ia the golden apple yon
possess; I desire nothing else." The hind gave it to Kim as she
said, " Here, take it then 1" The boy took it and divided it in
two, and instantly four giants came out, who said to him,
" What is it you want?' " Well, I should very much wish to
have all this wood taken to my mother's house until she had
more than she wanted or Icnew where to store it." The youth
again opened the apple and the giants appeared as before and
asked him, " What can we do for youT' " I want a palace
with a princess in it, and everything requisite." The giants at
once Bet to, forming a magnificent palace, and a most comely
princess was waiting for him inside; and the youth took poases-
sioa of it and went to live in it.
There was a man who, seeing the youth's wealth and good
fortune, was envious of him, and one day spoke to a witch he
knew to ask her to devise some means by which she could take
away the apple from the youth. The witch bo managed it that
she succeeded in taking it away fi^m him; and instantly every-
thing disappeared, and the palace was changed into a beach; and
the princess and the youth were seen without a rag of clothea
upon them in the midst of the beach. They began to cry and
bewail their unfortunate existence. The boy, however, after
awhile looking about him, said to the princess: "You had
better go to your Other's house and I will remain here." The
princess returned home, and the youth then began to saunter about
the beech in an aimless manner, and he met a little old lady,
who was the Virgin ; but he did not know her. Our Lady asked
him, " Where are you going to ?" " I'm only loitering because
I do not know what to do." She then said, " Well, listen to jne;
before many minutes have elapsed you will find a number of
cats, who are very fat and sleek, but do not lay hold of any
except the one that is covered with sores, and in a dreadEiil
.y Google
THE HIND OF THE OOLDEN AP7LE. 123
state, and that one you must take with you." The youth
walked ^ong and soon saw a quantity of fiue-lookitig cats, but
he left them alone ; but after a while he saw one very thin
and in a wretched condition. He took it up by the neck and
went away with it. He walked on further along the beach
and he saw a ship and went on board. The man who had stolen
the apple, seeing the youth in the ship, had him apprehended and
shut up in a tower. The youth took the cat with him to the
tower. The man who provided him with food only gave him a
bean each day, and the boy eat half and gave the other half to
the cat; whilst the cat hunted for mice and rate, of which it
caught many, laid them down before the youth, eat half of them
up, and gave him the other half. One day, as the cat was peeping
slyly through a chink watching for game, she saw a piece of
paper folded. She commenced to mew desperately, calling the
youth. He went to see what ailed her, and found a letter there
from the king of the rats, asking him what he could do for him,
BO that the cat in recompense for his services should leave the rats
in peace, and not catch any more. The youth sent to say that
the only way that the king could serve him would be by trying
to get the apple for him which had been stolen from him. The
king of the rats formed his subjects into an army, and went to the
place where the golden apple was to be found. The man had the
apple hanging from his neck. The rats set to work wiUi much
prudence and caution, and waited until the man was asleep, and
arranged themselves each side of the sleeping man, ready to act.
One of the rats then began to tickle the man's nose, and to stop
his breath with its tail; and the man awoke, feeling stifled, and
he then raised his head, The rats, who were ready to take
advantage of the first occasion, on seeing the man raise his head,
took off the chain with the apple from his neek, and carried it off
in triumph to their king, who himself took it to the youih in the
tower. The moment the cat saw the apple coming she began to
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124 POBTUOUESE FOLK-TALES.
mew out, loudly calling the jouth to come. He came and took
poseession of it once more in great delight. He opened it, and
forthwith the gianta came out of it, who eaid, "What do you
want us to do?" And the youth replied, " I want a palace, and
my princess back in it." Instantly everything came back as
before. The youth went to the king, and asked his majesty to
order the man who had robbed him of his golden apple to be put
to death; and he ever after lived happily with the princess.
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